Sunday, December 11, 2005
OUR DESIGN AND OUR RESOURCES
Since all of us have only so much time, energy and money, we usually wait until there is an excess of those things before we do the things we love to do. We treat them as bonuses that take last priority in our lives, only if there is leftover time and money. The problem with that way of thinking is that for most people, those times are rare, so we never consistently do the things that recharge us. Basically, no one is recharging as much or as often as they were designed to be.
Around my house, we have many things that need recharging, such as cell phones, cameras, video equipment, flashlights, remote control cars, and laptop computers. Therefore, we have a lot of different chargers around. We have found that we cannot take the remote control car charger and plug it into the camera and expect it to work correctly. The laptop charger does not work with the flashlight and vice versa. I have to admit. that it is kind of irritating that I cannot interchange the devices and chargers, but that’s the way it is. It does not matter how asinine I think it is that I need a specific charger for each and every device I have, that’s the way they were all designed. Each device needs a different amount of electrical input in order to charge and function at its best.
The same is true for us. The environment or event that recharges you is not going to be the same that recharges me. There may be similarities, just like all the different chargers had similarities. Each plugged into the wall, each was black, each had a cord, and each had a round end to be inserted somewhere. But there were enough minute differences to cause them not to be compatible.
I like to be alone to recharge and that might also be true of you. But I might like to read and you might like to knit. I might like to be alone in a city and you might like to be alone on a mountain or on a hike. We have all been designed differently, and those details need to be paid attention to. If I want my electronic devices to work the way they were designed, and to have as much battery life as possible, the instructions for charging and the equipment for charging needs to be exact.
You and I need to know exactly what regenerates our emotional well being. We must take the finite resources of time, energy, and money and consistently schedule whatever that is into our lives.. Not always waiting until we have leftovers, but accepting that it is one of the most important things that we can do with our time, energy, and money. We need to begin to spend money, plan time, and preserve energy for the activity that refuels us. This is all about intentionality.
We are each designed to be recharged in different ways and to love different things. This is not something that I learned or you learned. It was a gift from the designer. The thing that refuels you and you love doing, was designed into you. You did not learn it from anyone else. You may have been given opportunities growing up to experience it in different ways or may have been exposed to it by someone like your parents, friends, or a teacher or relative, but they never possessed the power to make you love it or be refueled by it. It originated from somewhere else; it was built into the design of you from the beginning. That is why it is important to pay attention to and discover exactly what form this takes with you.
And since it is a design issue, you must do it consistently if you ever want to live at optimum levels like you were designed. If you want to create and work, and love and play the way you were meant, you must pay attention to this aspect of your life. We would be foolish to not plug in our cell phone and expect it to work correctly. If we don't plug in our laptop, it won't be fully charged and ready for use. The same is true for you and me.
Around my house, we have many things that need recharging, such as cell phones, cameras, video equipment, flashlights, remote control cars, and laptop computers. Therefore, we have a lot of different chargers around. We have found that we cannot take the remote control car charger and plug it into the camera and expect it to work correctly. The laptop charger does not work with the flashlight and vice versa. I have to admit. that it is kind of irritating that I cannot interchange the devices and chargers, but that’s the way it is. It does not matter how asinine I think it is that I need a specific charger for each and every device I have, that’s the way they were all designed. Each device needs a different amount of electrical input in order to charge and function at its best.
The same is true for us. The environment or event that recharges you is not going to be the same that recharges me. There may be similarities, just like all the different chargers had similarities. Each plugged into the wall, each was black, each had a cord, and each had a round end to be inserted somewhere. But there were enough minute differences to cause them not to be compatible.
I like to be alone to recharge and that might also be true of you. But I might like to read and you might like to knit. I might like to be alone in a city and you might like to be alone on a mountain or on a hike. We have all been designed differently, and those details need to be paid attention to. If I want my electronic devices to work the way they were designed, and to have as much battery life as possible, the instructions for charging and the equipment for charging needs to be exact.
You and I need to know exactly what regenerates our emotional well being. We must take the finite resources of time, energy, and money and consistently schedule whatever that is into our lives.. Not always waiting until we have leftovers, but accepting that it is one of the most important things that we can do with our time, energy, and money. We need to begin to spend money, plan time, and preserve energy for the activity that refuels us. This is all about intentionality.
We are each designed to be recharged in different ways and to love different things. This is not something that I learned or you learned. It was a gift from the designer. The thing that refuels you and you love doing, was designed into you. You did not learn it from anyone else. You may have been given opportunities growing up to experience it in different ways or may have been exposed to it by someone like your parents, friends, or a teacher or relative, but they never possessed the power to make you love it or be refueled by it. It originated from somewhere else; it was built into the design of you from the beginning. That is why it is important to pay attention to and discover exactly what form this takes with you.
And since it is a design issue, you must do it consistently if you ever want to live at optimum levels like you were designed. If you want to create and work, and love and play the way you were meant, you must pay attention to this aspect of your life. We would be foolish to not plug in our cell phone and expect it to work correctly. If we don't plug in our laptop, it won't be fully charged and ready for use. The same is true for you and me.
// posted by Keith @ 5:37 PM 
Comments:
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When life gets overwhelming, I feel like I'm a laptop with a low battery surrounded by a sea of cell phone chargers.
Scheduling time to replenish ourselves may seem selfish, but if we're running on empty all the time, then we are going to be functioning on a sub-par level, which won't be good for anyone.
Good post again, honey.
Scheduling time to replenish ourselves may seem selfish, but if we're running on empty all the time, then we are going to be functioning on a sub-par level, which won't be good for anyone.
Good post again, honey.
Your observations explain a lot of what goes on in a marriage too. Ginny & I have different re-charging needs and methods which do not necessarily always mesh and we need to make allowances for the other preson's methods of recharging.
John: You are right on the money. I have a chapter written about that very aspect of validating each other's needs in this area as it relates to marriage. It might be a good idea to post that next. Thanks for your comments and observations.
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