This life can be a real drain sometimes. And if you are not careful, you will find yourself living on empty. When you are living on empty, small irritations morph into giant problems.

From Living on Empty to Renewed Enthusiasm – Photo Credit: Public Domain via Pixabay

When you are living intentionally and reaching for your best life, it is a safe bet that you will face plenty of obstacles and criticism on top of just exerting the energy to maintain momentum. Energy drains are not a maybe, they are a guarantee.

Soon you find your enthusiasm sinking and your focus shifting from possibilities to impossibilities. What can you do to refuel your tank so that instead of living on empty, you can live on full steam?

Eliminate the drag

First off, take a look at some of the things that drain your energy level without creating any momentum. Often there are drags in our lives that suck steam out of our tanks for nothing. And when you identify them, eliminate them. These drags can be such things like wrong friends, unforgiveness, bad habits, sin, or just plain bad scheduling.

These things need to be eliminated. They create unnecessary drag and will keep you from the best life that God intended for you. So deal with them. We all have them, so just get real, admit it, and take the necessary steps to eliminate the drag. Don’t let them suck you into a life where you find yourself living on empty.

Find a source of recreation

Recreation is named recreation for a reason. It recreates us. It may not be the same thing for every one, but find something that you find recreational. Don’t play golf if it drains you. Play tennis instead. There are so many choices. And they don’t all cost an arm and a leg. Running or hiking are free or cheap. Playing floor hockey at your church qualifies. As long as you find it refreshing.

It isn’t all about rest. Sometimes it is simply about a change of activities, or scenery or the people you do it with. Personally though, I probably choose light reading 8 out of 10 times. A good novel changes the scenery for me, and takes me back to where things become possible again.

Take care of your temple

We have all been given a physical body, sometimes referred to as a temple, that we are responsible for. So we need to take care of it properly so it can be rejuvenated. We need our sleep every night, we need physical exertion, we need proper nutrition, and we need our weekly day off.

We sometimes seem to think we don’t have time to take care of ourselves. I have used that excuse before. But the truth is, we don’t have time to not take care of ourselves. If we fail at taking care of ourselves physically, our bodies will let us down. In the beginning God gave man the responsibility to reign over the universe. This includes our bodies. We can choose though, whether we will reign as good lords, or as evil lords over what we have been entrusted with. And the fruit we reap will be accordingly.

Gratefulness is the attitude

Be grateful. It is ironic that so many of us have to work at being grateful. And yet there are few things that put so much steam into your tank as gratefulness does. This is one area in life where the effort brings back energy in spades.

Gratefulness unlocks the spiritual dimension in our lives to new connectivity with God. There is a verse in the Bible that says it something like this: “to him who has, more will be given; and to him who doesn’t have, what he has will be taken away.” I see it as a rule of gratefulness. If you are not grateful for it, you do not have it because you have not yet fully received it. So if you want more to be given, learn to fully receive it by being grateful for it, and more shall be given.

Connect with God

We are spiritual beings with a physical body. And our greatest source of energy is found in the spiritual. God is the source of all life. He has the power to create, and to recreate. Taking the time to connect with Him is the most important thing you can do in your day.

I know, just because it is the most important thing doesn’t mean that it is an easy habit to develop. It is, however, the habit that will make you wiser than any other habit. So if you find yourself living on empty, create a moment to connect with God. Take out your Bible and your Journal, and spend some time reading and listening to God. Bringing our cares to God, has a way of giving our situations a make over. Sometimes it is as simple as a change of perspective.