The Joy of a Reset Button

In a world where we have 24-hour-a-day access to information, we are in desperate need of a reset button. We need to relax. Recuperate. Rewind. Recharge. Reset our lives, our path, our emotional and physical states. Sometimes we have the opportunity

to redirect ourselves and other times external forces make the decision for us. Either way, it's time to make a decision to take care of you.
Our Lead Pastor talked with us a few weeks ago about the importance of keeping our emotional self well balanced so we are able to not only live our lives, but ENJOY our lives. Our current culture is forcing us to let our emotional well run dry. Ok, well, technically, we are making choices that make our wells become dangerously low. This never ending cycle of responsibility, financial burden and tending to needs that are not our own can cause use to become grumpy, grouchy, obstinate and down right testy. We feel like Stretch Armstrong and pretty soon we are going to snap. But maybe we do not go back to our former shape and find ourselves dangerously close to the discard box. We have to face facts that yes, there are things in life we have to deal with in our daily lives that we may not particularly enjoy. There may be a chatterbox cubicle coworker that does not understand the need for the new soundproof headphones you just purchased. Maybe you are raising teenagers. Maybe you are in the throws of toddler tantrums. Maybe you lost a loved one unexpectedly. Maybe your neighbor's dog sings love songs to the moon. Maybe your boss prattles on in meetings enjoying the sound of his/her voice while you are growing tenser by the minute as you hear your email inbox's continual dinging. Maybe your exams are incredibly hard. Maybe school is a miserable existance. Maybe your husband/wife loads the dishwasher in a way that boggles your ever loving mind. Maybe you put your underwear on backwards. Ok, that one you can fix pretty easily. But the other aggravating factors are going to force you to adapt one way or another. Simple survival, right? Um, not really.
One of my favorite excerpts from a TV show comes from The Office (I still miss the first four seasons of that show). Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute have a love-hate office relationship. Ok, mostly hate. These two characters are wonderful examples of protagonist versus antagonist and every week, I pulled my chair right up to their constant inner office altercation buffet. I always left the table full. In one episode, Dwight purchases an Office Orb, a round ball to replace the traditional office chair. As Dwight explains the healthy aspects of his new office furniture, you watch Jim's patience dwindle rapidly until he finally decides to pop Dwight's bubble, permanently (you can catch the video here: https://vimeo.com/21800285.) We all feel that way from time to time, don't we? We have that secret wish to carry out a thoughtless, self gratifying act without any repercussion. But the truth is, Jim is the perfect example of our emotional self being out of balance and the actions that can sometimes follow. Great TV, though.
Our pastor recommended we make a list of things that bring us joy. Everyone's happy list will be different but here is the key point: this is YOUR happy list. Not your family's. Not your friends'. Not your significant other or spouse's. This is about what makes YOU happy. And of course, many of these people in your life may be involved in your chosen activities, but the fact is, in order to take care of your family, to meet your professional responsibilities, to stay true to your religious choices, to stay emotionally healthy - you need to take care of you.

And again, sometimes our society can make us very guilty about this notion, but sometimes you have to be selfish. Sometimes you have to fill your tank so you can fill someone else's when they need a little more sustenance. We are similar to a car - the lower your reserve, the lower you perform until finally you putter off to the side of the road and wait for someone to revive you. And sometimes that bill is incredibly expensive. If you think about it, personal monthly maintenance, ie: scheduling time for you, is just as important as healthy eating and regular exercise. You need to reset your agenda and make room in your schedule to include the elusive ME time. Otherwise, you may find yourself running wildly with scissors and that probably is not going to end well.
Our Pastor made a statement in his chat (I don't like the word sermon because he is much more informal in his delivery) that really resonated with me. He spoke of people coming to Jesus asking to be healed, asking to be saved, asking for miracles and Jesus stepped away from the crowd. Say that really slowly. Jesus. Stepped. Away. He did not turn his back on these requests, but he was acutely aware his emotional bucket was not full enough to take care of his flock. He prayed. He asked for sustenance from God and he walked alone with his thoughts. When he was emotionally full, he returned, tipped his bucket and his help flowed easily to others in great need. Even in his time of respite, Jesus was still teaching. We are meant to rest. We are meant to recuperate, relax, re-evaluate - we are meant to hit that reset button often and without hesitation.
If you have one goal this week, make a happy list. Next week, on your calendar, schedule 15 minutes for your happy place. And next week, add 15 more minutes and so on. Pretty soon, the happy becomes a habit and you are able to deal with the frustrations of life that can quickly drain our bucket. But you are one step ahead of the game because you have found the joy of a reset button. And you are joyfully running forward, with the scissors tucked safely in your desk drawer.