Month: August 2019

Battery Recharge

As we are approaching a holiday weekend, I began thinking about how people re-energize themselves. I have discovered that each person is unique regarding how they approach refilling their life batteries. The one thing which we all have in common is the need to recharge. We were not created to go at full speed seven days a week. While this has not prevented some individuals from attempting this rate of activity, I am not aware of anyone who has been successful at achieving this goal.

My quest for recharging my life batteries has led me to discover these realities:

  • The method of recharging has changed over time.
  • I require various combinations of methods most of the time.
  • I like to combine alone time and time spent with others.
  • I enjoy quiet times and stimulating times.
  • I regularly need some form of physical activity but also need time to be at rest.

As you can see, there is no one set way for me to recharge. The way in which I accomplish this necessary task is dependent on my current mood, what I have been engaged in recently, and what might be available at the time. The issue is not what is necessary for a person to recharge; the issue is whether a person takes the time to recharge or not.

A recharging must occur on three different levels. The first level is a physical recharging. An individual must pay attention to the body to determine when the body is in need of rest, rejuvenation, and gaining of strength. Our bodies are like a machine that will wear out if we attempt to push it too hard for too long.

The second level of recharging is a mental recharging. Like the muscles and organs of our bodies, our psyche must be given the opportunity to unwind and release. This may require watching a television show which has a lower demand on our mental skills. Some individuals have found that coloring a picture provides that opportunity to let their thoughts go into a lower gear. For me, working on a jigsaw puzzle is a great way to mentally recharge.

The third level of recharging is spiritually recharging. Our spirits need to be allowed to recapture energy. I am one who uses time outdoors to do this most often. Walking is my favorite spiritual recharge method. Seeing creation, especially on a sunny day or along a body of water, reminds me that I am part of something much larger. The beauty fills my spirit with joy and energy.

What are your methods for recharging your life batteries? Are you doing a good job of making sure this happens regularly? How might you improve in this area?

Binding Ties

When I was in elementary school, we would get to watch a couple of television shows in our classroom each week. One of the shows was the Electric Company. The other show was the Big Blue Marble. The latter show would feature stories about kids from different parts of the world. The producers intended to communicate that our world is not really as big as it may seem and that by getting to know people from other parts of the world, we would build a better society together. There was even a pen-pal program (writing actual letters to another person for those who do not understand this concept) that would encourage an ongoing connection and conversation.

I share this memory from the past because I have been thinking about the connectedness of people. It is not surprising that in the age of the internet and social media, the ability to connect with others is even greater. Additionally, technology allows this connectedness to be almost instantaneous. Yet with the tools provided to us, we still seem to struggle with connecting to others.

I am a fairly outgoing person. I engage in conversations with a variety of people in a variety of settings without much difficulty most of the time. Not everyone is comfortable in social settings or in engaging in conversation with individuals whom they have not met. The challenge in being able to have a dialogue with another person is finding that connection. Sometimes the setting provides a clear connecting point such as attending a wedding, being at a job-related gathering, or being at a school event. Other times it may be harder to identify the commonalities which you might have with another person.

The truth that was presented on the television show, Big Blue Marble, is that we have more in common with one another than we ever realize. It is important to find that connection with one another. The reality is that our actions impact one another. This has become increasingly clear in regard to how we treat creation. Even greater are the acts of violence which continually shake our lives. When we acknowledge that we have more in common than differences, then we begin to see each other as valued. If we see the value in another, we are less willing to take a negative action toward that person.

We are connected in ways we have yet to discover. Our commonality far exceeds anything which would divide us. All of us live together on this big blue marble called earth. It is time we lifted up our connectedness.