Refuel Before You're Empty

Although gas prices do seem blissfully low, this blog post is not about pulling over to fill up anytime you see gas advertised for below $2.80 a gallon (although it is tempting!) It may be totally “square” but I admit that I am reading The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale, the granddaddy of self-help authors. The book was originally published in the 50s and definitely has a Christian undercurrent, but its advice rinks true today for a broad audience.

Here are some of the topics covered: A Peaceful Mind Generates Power, How to Have Constant Energy and How to Break the Worry Habit. Maybe it would disappoint Dr. Peale to know this… but these are all very relevant problems for most people—60 years after he first published his book!

The basic message is that we create our own happiness, our own energy, our own sense of inner peace. This isn’t big news. The most interesting parts are how to actually find the happiness, energy and peace.

One piece of advice that stuck in my head is Dr. Peale’s suggestion that we take 15 minutes every day to empty our minds. Just think about… well, nothing. No multi-tasking. No reading, watching TV, answering emails, watching kids, etc. Just… empty.

When I first read this I thought it was a very, very cool idea. Then, my skeptical self kicked in and I wondered how I could actually sit still for 15 minutes and not do ANYTHING. Maybe this idea was outdated. After all, they didn’t have internet and blackberries in the 50s. People were surely much less productive. Finally, I thought – why not? Shavasana (a.k.a. corpse pose, or final relaxation when you just lay on your mat with your eyes closed) is my favorite part of yoga class. Shavasana is really little more than emptying my mind after working out. And yoga is decidedly not 50s-ish. Maybe there was something to this think-nothing-for-15-minutes idea.

I realize that 15 minutes may be a huge chunk of time for some people, and many of us may not have the luxury of 15 free minutes alone every day. But don’t we owe it to ourselves to refuel before the tank is empty? Being quiet and truly still does bring peace and energy. Peace and energy makes me happy, and probably makes you happy, too. Without energy and inspiration, I wouldn’t get much done and I wouldn’t be much use to the people around me.

For me, running serves as a peaceful time. It’s a time to pay close attention to the things around me, the sights and the smells. It’s a time to feel every twinge and strength in my body, and to sweat away all the stress and worry of the day. Not thinking – just noticing. In a way, running is a way to refuel.

We often focus on things like self-help books when we find ourselves in a bad place. (Totally out of gas and AAA is on its way.) Doesn’t it make more sense to refuel before we’re empty?

Have a great week –

Brae