A lesson I learned the hard way is how sometimes it is necessary to take care of you and walk away from situations or people that are draining your energy. Sometimes, that means walking away from negativity. Even if that means walking away from someone close. Other times, it means that you just simply cannot add another project or help another person until you have been recharged.
Walking away from someone close does not mean shutting people out forever. It can simply mean limiting the amount of time you spend in their environment.
One of my goals is to add as much value to others as I can. That is why I first wanted to become a manager. Not for the title, but how I believed I could help people achieve their goals. This desire to inspire and develop others helped me achieve success and eventually move up to Director of Sales. It is also a major reason why I started my blog and started work on my book. Add value.
In my personal life, I find myself often being at the receiving end of people sharing their frustrations, obstacles and negativity. I have been told that I am the “go to person” when someone wanted to vent.
The problem was that I was often finding myself moving from person to person listening to their problems after a week of dealing with problems. I wanted to help so I would keep going and wouldn’t want to say “no”. I would take on their problems and add it to mine.
It was draining and I often found my bucket empty, with nothing left to give. When I was in this situation, my patience would be thin and I would find myself snapping.
Both Grit and a Servant Mindset are great qualities to have, but not at the expense of your health. If you want to keep going on your projects or help more people, find a space where you can get your energy back. You don’t do yourself or others any good by running on fumes. Everyone needs time to recharge every once in a while. It’s ok to limit association with those who have a fixed mindset or who only focus on what they don’t have.
“What you focus on expands. So focus on what you want, not what you do not want.”
If all you do is keep adding and adding, eventually you will find yourself with nothing more to give.
I was recently introduced to Rob Bell. Rob is the author of ten books and a has a podcast at RobCast. He has been profiled in the New Yorker, toured with Oprah and named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Below is a link to one of his podcast episodes where he shares his thoughts on taking care of you and the lessons he learned the hard way when all he did was work, work, work.
If you have time to listen to the whole episode, go ahead. If you are short on time, start at 24:29. It’s starts with advice he was given that changed the way he viewed his priorities.
He often gives biblical references to make his point, but even if you are not religious, his advice is great for everyone.
“For you to give your best gift to us, there has to be some space where the life gets put back into you. Otherwise, you become an empty shell. You’ve given, but you haven’t received. And you can only do that for so long before you burn out, or in the case of many people, you begin to have a low level of bitterness.” – Rob Bell
“For you to give your gift, you the empty shell isn’t good for anyone” Rob Bell
Rob Bell “Wisdom as Yourself”
“Short on time? Start at 24:29
What can you do this week to take some time to recharge? What can you do to receive and what does that mean to you?
Our lives can get pretty hectic and it can be easy to get lost in our actions. When we are so focused on what is ahead, we forget to pause, reflect and find ways to energize our minds. These 5-minute motivation posts are meant to give you that recharge. The goal is to give you a 5-minute Vitamin for your mind through quotes, posts and videos. It is also meant to challenge your thinking and inspire you to take action.