How do you deal with an emptying emotional cup? A window into my mind…
I know my cup is emptying when I start to become irritable, over-emotional, and generally, feel drained and unable to cope with the “small things” in life. At the same time, I try to convince myself that my emotional cup is somehow bottomless and in so doing, I empty the cup some more.
I have often wondered why I allow my cup to empty so much. On reflection, two things stand out:
- I don’t always notice it emptying. I just keep on going. There is the Word to Minister, students across a few countries to lead, people and couples to counsel and so on. It is very easy to keep on going seven days per week, every week.
2. The lie that I feed on is: Since I am doing what I am called to do, and I enjoy doing most of it, it shouldn’t really empty my cup all that much, after all, God will “top me up” again.
- There is also a fear of what will happen if I take a break? What won’t be done? What will the consequences be? Will I lose control? Who will I disappoint? Will I “get it together” again?
- When I do notice it emptying, I procrastinate about refilling it. On any given day, my mind is usually in a thousand places. I know that there are going to be some things that will have to stand over until tomorrow…but what? And what if my cup empties before tomorrow?
Making things harder still is that I typically first do the things I enjoy doing. Meaning those things that I do first, don’t necessarily have to be urgent or important to receive my attention. Two consequences: (1) continuous crisis management and (2) the probability that tomorrow will be populated with the tasks I must do, but don’t enjoy doing, possibly leading to more procrastination.
God will indeed “top me up.” In a sense though, this mindset is an “over-spiritualization,” I also need to learn that rest is a biblical principle and that there are limitations that are part and parcel of being human. I have to be responsible.
There is a need to mature in the way that I look at my day and available time. Procrastinating is not only foolish, but it is doing my emptying cup and those around me, no favours.
If my goal is to be fully available in the Kingdom of God and to my wife, then I need to keep my cup topped up.
The “if…then” mentality is also a logical fallacy (error in logic) in that if something happens, then something else will happen because of the first something happening.
To defeat the error of logic, the “if” must be achieved, and it won’t happen by chance. I must set smart goals and achievable plans.
My statement, “if my goal is to…” must change to “my goal is to…” No “if” about it.
This short blog is also a reflection on the journey I have travelled and still do travel. I am reminded that it is only the mislead who can say, “I have arrived!”
Let me know if I or Lizette can be of help to you.
Be blessed, Craig