The other day I am driving along and I am nearing empty for my gas tank. I knew this was heading low and refueling was on my list of “ things to do” but I was so focussed on so many other chores and our kids’ activities that I kept postponing the stop at the gas station. Suddenly I get a yellow light and a sign that says “ Fuel Reserve” pops up on the dashboard. I had less than 50 miles to get the deed done. Well 26 miles later I found a gas station and my car gulped down the fuel and quenched its thirst.
As I was at the pump, I started thinking about this sign as a metaphor for our own mental, emotional and physical health and how quickly we get depleted each day, yet choose to ignore the warning signs of fatigue, pain, anxiety until one day we are completely empty. We become depressed, bedridden and sick with illness. Yet the alerts began way before, and we chose to ignore them.
This occurs in our finances as we keep spending on materialistic “stuff” and do not keep track of our bank balance until it is too late. Or in our relationships with our loved ones when finally they slam the door and walk out of our lives and we look up from our busy schedules to ask “ WTF happened?”. Or better yet at work when burn the midnight candle at both ends and are mentally wasted. I see this especially among those who are ill with cardiovascular disease that come to my office to be seen. Their issues probably began decades ago.
Metaphysically and in mind body medicine heart disease is linked to not living inspired. Heart disease takes time for plaque to build up and grow. I have always been curious about the catalyst for some of these genetic predispositions. There was a sign for the psychological derangement that led to the physiological illness before manifestation.
Finally the universe has to give us a similar yellow light to say “ STOP, get a grip on your life and get back onto purpose”. We are fueled by that which inspires us, and everything and anything else that falls short of this simply just drains us. At some point in our day, week, month, lifetime we get depleted and run on empty till our “car” aka our mind, body, heart are just give out from exhaustion.
It is wise to constantly pay attention that we are not emptying our mental, physical and emotional buckets with low priority distractions versus staying focused on high priority valuable actions.
Grounding, meditation, breath work, journaling, exercise all help in refueling and paying attention to life’s excessive stimuli that harm us as stress. Having a list of techniques that truly recharge us is important, just as becoming more aware of what triggers our depletion and what symptoms are we experiencing before we run on empty.
………………
I love you
