Fueling Yourself

The dictionary defines fuel as the substance from which energy can be derived. It takes fuel to run a car, it takes fuel to run a furnace, it takes fuel to run our body.

But fueling your self is a lot more than eating and taking vitamins and exercising to keep your parts running smoothly. There are many fuels that come into play. Here are four that I believe essential.

Spiritual fuel. I can think of a time in my life when I thought the Bible was just a prop, something you carried with you to Church to make it look like you belonged there. Kind of like carrying a briefcase to a business meeting. Every time I opened it and began reading I would get frustrated and close it. It just didn’t make sense. The Bible that I did carry was one I had borrowed from my mom. The only Bible I owned was the one my dad gave to me as a child and one of those little Gideon New Testaments that I had received at school. Imagine that , now you can’t even pray at school. Now I have 4 or 5 Bibles that I actually read. My favorite is the Message Bible because it easy to read. But I supplement that “translation” with the other Bibles that I own and between them all, I can pretty clearly understand the intent of the passage. Now reading my Bible has become a habit for me and I would no more think of missing my few minutes of spiritual food as I would miss a meal. And that’s saying a lot. I have learned that what I can expect is a full day of discouragement when I don’t read and absorb some of God’s word everyday.

Mental fuel is also important. I used to be a tabloid magazine, reality tv junkie. Now not all reality is necessarily junk…ok Rock of Love and the one with Tia Tequila are pretty trashy. Top Chef, Project Runway on the other hand are people using their talents and I always feel encouraged seeing that. I have given up the trashloids, National Enquirer etc and have switched to People and Guideposts and Shape. Instead of all junk, because I’m still working on the reality tv shows (my favorite at the moment is the Bachelor) I have made room for the jewels. I have cut back on the time I spend mindlessly reading or watching tv and have spent more time writing, and reading inspirational books. And I am trying mind control. Don’t worry…not on other people. On myself. Instead of thinking negatively and worrying I consciously make myself think of a positive spin to any negative thought…for example when I tell myself you are fat, I immediately tell myself you are working to get healthy. The worries I express but then say a prayer expressing faith in God to guide me through the situation I am troubled about. You can find God even in the midst of the worst situations. Read a book about someone who had made a difference. Expand your knowledge of something that interests you . In short use your free mind time, wisely.

Physical fuel is a given. We all need food and water to survive. We need rest. What I realized, but failed to act on for a long time, was that God intended food for us as sustenance, not entertainment. When we use food as a crutch or as a reward or comfort we usually choose the wrong food. My dad used to say you just have to eat to live, not live to eat. So many restaurants, so little time. Now I am trying to eat whats right, not whats left. Exercise is another matter. Its easy to say I don’t have time to exercise but that’s just not true. I don’t find time to exercise is more accurate. Sleep is not an option. I have learned that I need 8 hours of sleep to feel good. There are nights when I have stories to write rambling around in my mind and comedy routines I need to work on but I make myself go to bed. To deny myself the sleep I need puts me at risk of running on empty. I am tired, unfocused and usually get sick when I don’t get my rest.

Emotional fuel is also a necessity. The love and support we get from family and friends is vital to our well being. We need to be able to admit our struggles and faults and ask for help. We need to seek encouragement and advice even from those around us. No man is an island. We need people to hold us accountable for our words and actions, even if our feelings get hurt sometimes. We need God who is with us 100% of the time. My team captain is God. I start each day with a simply prayer as my feet hit the floor. “Lord, strengthen me today to make the right choices in what I eat and drink and say and do. May my decisions today be pleasing to you.” I rhymed it on purpose. Makes me smile when I rhyme. And each night I end the day with a prayer for forgiveness for the ways that I failed that day. And I say a prayer of thanksgiving for the people in my life who love me and propel me to being a better person.
When you get the spiritual, mental, physical and emotional fuel you need you are centered and in control. We cannot do God’s work in this world if we are exhausted in any of those areas. We need to be rested and ready for whatever life brings our way.

Fuel your mind, your spirit, your body and your soul. Don’t fool yourself…fuel yourself.