In December of 2022 I chose to surprise my children with a family vacation. It had been a while since we had a family vacation and I believed that we could use a glimpse inside a new environment. The location was decided, hotel, flights, and car were booked. The date was selected to align with their school schedule. Great! We agreed to go in February. It was time for our trip. On the day of, we were eager. We got up early and had breakfast. Then we stopped to get snacks. I scheduled an excursion or event every day of the trip. By the time the vacation ended we had taken many pictures, tried new things, and added positive memories to the memory bank. We made it home in the evening and unpacked, bathed, and prepared for life's demands the following day. For me that meant work and for them that meant school. I woke up to my alarm at 5:30 am. I contemplated calling off work but I decided against it. I figured that I needed a few more minutes to rest and I would be alright. I did what many people do. I pressed snooze and went back to sleep. I woke up 30 minutes later and made a to-do list for the week. I decided to knock something off my list. Then I prepared for my day. My children prepared for school and I ignored my internal battery. My internal battery was at 50% and I had many demands ahead of me. Those demands included getting my son to band practice, navigating traffic, showing up as my best-self for my clients, having a meeting, doing laundry, and a few other things. By the time work ended, my internal battery was at 4%. There was still much for me to do. My children received the depleted version of me. I saw the depleted version of me. I did not like what I saw. I apologized to my children and I informed them that I was reminded of the importance of assessing my internal battery. At the start of the day, my battery informed me that it needed to be charged and I ignored that. My children and I talked about it and they were supportive. They understood how important it is to be mindful of our internal batteries.
The idea behind the internal battery is that ideally, we want to wake up at 100%. If we are to compare our internal batteries to cell phone batteries, cell phone batteries perform better and last longer when they are fully charged. Many things require our energy throughout the day. Some of those things include traffic, planning or acquiring meals, cleaning, listening, hygiene, driving, parking, being supportive, navigating conflict, problem solving, health, employment, and a host of other choices and obligations. Just as some things can drain our batteries, some things recharge us. A few of those things include, rest, working out, nutrition, hobbies, and a many more. The goal is to be attune to your internal battery so that you can be as recharged and feel as whole as you desire.
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