Calling Up The Reserves

Today I am grateful for time with recovery friends yesterday and some honest discussion about what I need to work on. I am also grateful for the practice of habitual gratitude, for the healthy perspective that it keeps at the ready.

I am tired, drained, spent, tapped out in more ways than one. The school year has just wound down and it was a full one. Although I have less than a full-time position, I work full-time when I am there and it has been a busy year. The piles just keep getting shifted around my office. That feeling of "it will never all get done" zaps a person over time.

A busy month just wound down with graduations, hosting a graduation party after spending a lot of time getting ready for it, baseball games, and other commitments. Most were good and positive things, but still draining.

And there are worries and concerns that lurk, from a variety of sources. They range from financial to health to the well-being of those I care about. Nothing new, just ongoing. You don't need details to understand that such concern depletes a person in a different way.

Because of the hectic pace, my writing didn't get the time it deserved, my reading stalled out because I would only get a couple paragraphs in before I fell asleep. I did pretty well keeping up on exercise, but I overinduldged in sweets and other foods I shouldn't have. I am cutting myself some slack because of everything we had going on, but I am feeling like I need to call up the reserves now to help me get back on track physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

What reserves? The extra stores of gratitude, motivation, grace, humility, appreciation that are created when I give at least a few minutes each day to the practice of gratitude, recognizing the gifts in my life, slowing down at a busy time to realize that life, overall, is really good and I am deeply blessed. There are days when I may be "acting as if" or just going through the motions. But even on those days, a little is placed in reserve for times like this.

What these reserves actually do is allow me to keep healthy perspective close at hand. So when I lose sight of that healthy perspective, it doesn't take long to find it back. That is progress for me. I used to lose perspective for weeks and months at a time. Gratitude practice prevents that from happening now, and for that I am truly grateful.

Have a nice day! Call up the reserves if needed.

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