Nothing Left to Give?

This past Friday was one of those long days that make you long for an ice-cold drink, while frolicking on a lounge chair  by the pool. It was such a hectic day, I didn’t get a chance to eat all day. By 4 o’clock, I was beyond ready to call it a day. When I finally walked out of the building at 8pm, knowing that I had to be in New York for a speaking engagement, I couldn’t fathom how I was going to accomplish that. As I sat in the uber, I was famished, with my head pounding with a migraine. I silently said, “God, help me make it through.” Nevertheless, I arrived there, somehow ready for the task at hand. I spoke and the audience seemed to have been inspired, which was mainly  the motivating factor in pushing through.

I was exhausted, but relieved, when I finally slid in the back of the Uber to finally go home. Normally I carry out a conversation with the driver. Given the circumstance, I thought, “I’m all talked out.” But, old habits die hard. A minute later, I hear myself asking the driver how does he like the job; that led to a pleasant conversation about his move here in the U.S. and family life. 

Imagine if I had decided to skip the speaking engagement , on the basis that I was too tired, too hungry and in too much pain. Oftentimes, we consult with our feelings way too much. We let how we are feeling, physically or emotionally, decide our course of action. In our minds, we think “I have nothing left to give right now.” However, if we only tap a little deeper into our reservoir of strength and endurance, we might be shocked to see how much more we have to offer. How we feel often goes in the opposite direction of what we are called to do. So, let us make a conscious decision to stop listening to our feelings (fear, pain, unworthiness, or fatigue etc.) regarding our duties. It’s a question of mind over matter. This experience was an invaluable life lesson to me. I hope my relaying it can do the same for you.
 
Louise Beaubrun-Macaluso, PhD

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