A hairdryer, a curling iron and a crimper–three staples in my family bathroom in the late 80s. With three girls in the house, one, if not two of these appliances were always plugged into the wall — key tools in mastering the art of waterfall bangs. However, we knew better than to plug all three in at once. She who did it would have to make the journey to the basement and reset the circuit breaker.
We’ve all overloaded our circuit breaker now and then, have we not? Have you had one of those moments where you’ve found yourself taking on too much? Typically, these are the times where our gracious spirit goes out the window, because there’s too much other “stuff” occupying our attention. Have you found yourself too busy to chat with the person checking you out at the grocery store or asked someone how they are doing, but were too preoccupied to hear what they said? It’s during those times that we need to hit reset to our own circuit breaker.
For me, last week was one of those weeks. With the pressure of packing my house to move, saying goodbye to friends, three writing deadlines and two speaking proposals to write finish, I did something I rarely do, I stopped it all. I unplugged my computer, put my phone aside, and took some time for me.
This reset didn’t require traveling halfway across the world to meditate in a foreign country. Rather, it was simple. I asked a friend to join me for an impromptu cup of coffee at my favorite coffeehouse, ordered it “for here, please,” and spent the morning not thinking about what I “need to do” but engaging with my friend. I held the porcelain mug in my hands like it was a rare jewel and soaked up the time, listening and being listened to.
And guess what? I survived the web disconnect and my work was finished on time. Not only that, I could now look at my “to dos” with a fresh perspective and a rested creative mind.
How can you take a moment or two to reset your circuit breaker this weekend? Perhaps you can give yourself an hour or two to unplug. Call a friend for an impromptu chat, surprise your children with a game of tag, or just enjoy a cup of coffee in a quiet moment. Whatever you choose, enjoy the reset, and I look forward to hearing about it.
