Are you ok? No, really, are you?

🗨️We’ve all heard the phrase “you can’t pour from an empty cup,” but I want to take it a step further here and assert that “pouring out” is not the only reason we should have a full cup.

You are WORTHY of having a full cup 🍵, my friend. In fact, you are worthy of OVERFLOW. Not just for the sake of others, but because you are called to live a full and abundant life.

Now that we’ve established this key 🗝️truth, let’s continue!

How much better would it be to pour out onto those around us from overflow and abundance, rather than pouring out until there is nothing left, then scrambling to fill back up only to do it all over again?

That sounds exhausting! Yet it’s what so many of us do. 😩

In our culture that often praises “hustle” and burning the candle at both ends🕯️, it sometimes feels like a badge of honor to be burnt out and exhausted.

➡️In my last post (“Casting Your Vision”) I talked about the importance of casting vision and setting goals and running toward the dreams God has placed in our hearts 🤍🏃🏼‍♀️💨.

Now, I want us to zero in on some fundamentals that need to be established if we hope to achieve those goals. They seem obvious but are so often neglected!

📖 Hebrews 12:1 says to “run with endurance the race that is set before us,” which is impossible to do while running on ‘E’.

Imagine a runner who signs up for the Boston marathon but never laces up his sneakers to train, doesn’t eat enough (or eats poorly when he does), and only sleeps 4 hours a night.

How far do you think he will make it on race day? My bet is that he won’t even complete the first mile before he burns out! 🧎🏼‍♀️

So why would we think it’s ok to approach our life in this same manner?

If we have God-sized dreams (not sure what yours is? 👉🏼read this) in our hearts and desire to live life in the fullness that He intended, then we are going to need some energy to do so!⚡🔋

Being a mom myself, I often see memes circulating about forgetting to eat or scraping up the last bit of mac & cheese from the bottom of the pan for lunch. It may seem cute at the moment (we’ve all had those days!), but it’s a lot less funny when our blood sugar drops later in the day and we lash out at our spouse or kids because we didn’t take time to nourish ourself.

Ouch! I’ve been there. 😞

Maybe you’re on Twitter and you see your favorite business mogul bragging about working until 2am and telling you that if you’re really serious about your goals you’ll do the same.

⛔STOP.⛔

🗨️Let’s be clear on this one thing: self-neglect does not earn you a trophy.

We’re not doing anyone any favors by neglecting ourselves “for them.” We can’t make sound decisions, be patient with our spouse/kids, and produce meaningful work if we’re depleted💀.

So, what are some practical things we can do to ensure we are running full steam ahead? This list may feel elementary but pay attention👀 when you read through them and consider if you need to give more attention to any of these areas.

Are you:

✔️Drinking enough water?

✔️Eating balanced, nourishing meals?

✔️Getting enough sleep?

✔️Moving your body every day?

✔️Getting frequent sunlight and fresh air?

✔️Resting enough?

✔️Playing enough (recreation and fun are so often overlooked but SO important!)

✔️Engaging in meaningful relationships?

✔️Getting a break from your kids? From your work?

✔️Maybe an appointment for some bloodwork could even be beneficial to see if you’re depleted in any key areas!

It’s easy to roll our eyes and say “well, duh!” because we KNOW we need these things, but most of us probably aren’t getting enough of at least a few of them. I know I often get to the end of the day and realize I hardly drank any water (but plenty of coffee!)☕, for example.

Maybe you’ve had back-to-back meetings and realize you’ve been sitting for 3 straight hours – oof!🤦🏼‍♀️ Get up and take a 10-minute walk or do some jumping jacks!

🗨️We can easily forget our most basic needs when there is so much on our plates.

Consider Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. He believed that only when humans have their physiological and psychological needs met – things like food and water, security, health, relational connections, and freedom – can they advance to realizing their full potential.

It makes sense that if we are lacking in any of these areas, it will be hard to focus clearly and advance toward the fullness that God intended for us!

🗨️While it’s easy to get caught up in dreams and goals, sometimes we need to step back from the ethereal for a moment to take inventory of the practical.

Hebrews 10:36 says “you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

Instead of depleted and struggling, let us honor ourselves and our temples and be filled to overflowing! Let’s reject the lie that tells us it’s admirable to run ourselves into the ground.

It’s time to change the narrative.

You are worthy of a full and abundant life!