Greetings!
Mid-January is upon us, how can this be?! I have definitely been feeling the January Low Zone lately, as we came off of the holidays and have had plenty of cold, snowy, cloudy days. This has made me think about the phrase "running on empty" and what that might mean.
Last week I had a very real experience with this phrase. Coming back from a workshop out of town, my co-trainer Kayla and I were driving home, chatting, sharing stories, and just working our way east on the interstate when all of a sudden my car started to decelerate. Not knowing what was going on, I worked my way over to the shoulder of the road only to look down and realize that the gas light was on and we were literally out of gas! Yikes! As it turns out, you can't actually run on empty...
We coasted to a stop (safely on the shoulder) and I was in my high zone-heart pumping, totally embarrassed, and dumb-founded that this had just happened. Grateful to Kayla for showing me so much grace and support, we started calling our families, trying to figure out what to do, and to our joy and my husband's quick thinking, he called a towing company to come bring us some gas. We could then make it to a gas station to fill up and get home safely.
I learned a few things that day:
1) I'm grateful for all the people who were ready to help us, and for Kayla who showed me grace and non-judgement when I struggled to give that to myself.
2) You can't run on empty. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. Take the time to fill up, recharge, or reset, even if it's just enough to get you to the next gas station.
3) Check your fuel gauge before leaving town :)
My hope is that this email finds you well. But if it finds you in a place where you too are low, or flying towards empty, may this be your invitation to slow down, check in, and fill up, even just a little.
(Ways I'm filling up this week: sleep, exercise, time with a friend, and being more present with my family.)
May we be safe, healthy, have joy, and live in peace.
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