There are times in life when we find ourselves running on empty. We go through the motions, rushing from task to task. We manage our commitments and tackle our responsibilities. We work tirelessly and socialize when we can, yet there is a disconnect – a numb indifference that doesn’t allow us to connect deeply or be, never mind stay, in the present.
A friend reminded me today that my blog posts have been nonexistent as of late and work on my book is stagnant. Yes, I write for the paper, yet that is a commitment with a monthly deadline vs. a personal choice with no firm date to adhere to.
Though I found it difficult in the past relating to writer’s block – past defined as before today – the struggle is real. For me it’s not a block, but rather a pause on the intrinsic spark that ignites my passion to put pen to paper. There’s plenty to write about. The list is endless. There are brief starts and stops, drafts and trash, but the usual drive that motivates me to write all night has taken unapproved vacation time. I hope it’s sitting by the ocean somewhere sipping a cocktail, lost in the waves that crash loudly against the sea wall, seeking inspiration that stirs the soul. That’s definitely where I’d want it to be.
What I’ve learned over these past months is sometimes life has other plans, plans that aren’t optional. There’s illness and hospitals, deaths and funeral homes. There are time sensitive and plentiful work projects. And there’s the realization that sometimes, we have nothing left over to give. We feel disconnected from everything. We are running on empty.
I recall a piece I wrote years back, reminding others that sometimes we are tired not from doing too much, but from doing too little that sparks passion and lights a fire in our souls. That can be true, but we can also be exhausted. We can be doing too much and sleeping too little. We can be burnt out and run down. A bone tired fatigue that plagues our mind, body, heart, and soul, leaving no room for creativity or ideas.
Life is a marathon and when we find ourselves running on empty, we need to respect the pause and trust that it’s not forever, just a period of time we must endure, seeking the lessons it will inevitably teach, then reflect upon the experience. Only then will we refill our lives with what we need to recharge – and reconnect.
