Pumping Up Your Tires
Mornings are getting colder here in Virginia. I even noticed some frost on the grass. Just last week when I started my car, the familiar low-pressure tire symbol appeared on my dashboard. As the air gets colder, our tires need a little extra air. This was no big deal. I planned to go to my nearest gas station and add a few pounds to the tires.
At the first gas station, the air pump was out of order. No big deal, I’d visit the Wawa near my kids’ school after the morning drop-off. The air pump is free at Wawa. When I got there, there was a long line of cars waiting for free air. No big deal. My tires weren’t flat, it was just a result of the colder air. I could ride on them a little longer. I would find another gas station.
Next, I visited the gas station near my office, confident that every gas station has an air pump. I was wrong. Strike three.
What’s so Funny?
At this point, frustration would be a natural reaction. I simply could not find a place to pump up my tires. However, I found it quite amusing.
See, the irony is that I have an air pump in my garage. In the rush to get out the door and to my next destination, I bypassed my own pump and searched for a quicker pump elsewhere, only to waste more time searching for pumps that weren’t available. I can’t resist a good metaphor.
Who Pumps You Up?
When you’re feeling a little deflated, who or what do you turn to for a little encouragement? Your partner, friend, parent, coworker, a good book or motivational podcast? I’m a sucker for a motivational podcast.
How often do we search for someone or something outside ourselves to pump us up? We search for accolades, encouragement from our boss, degrees, our partner’s support, and motivational speakers. These are all great and add value to our lives, but how often do we bypass our own ability to pump ourselves up in search for something else?
Sometimes we don’t even look in our own garage to see if we have the tools lying around. We automatically look to our partner, friends, coworkers, or audience for validation. This method of encouragement becomes habitual and we barely give it a second thought before running to outside sources when we’re feeling deflated.
Find Your Pump
We all feel a little deflated from time to time. Just like the cold weather, it’s natural. Giving yourself a little internal pump every so often can do wonders for your internal maintenance and clearing out the head-trash. Your pump might be readily available, or it might be gathering cobwebs in the dark, damp corner behind piles of your head-trash. But it’s there. You have a pump. You have the ability to dust it off, plug it in, and pump yourself up. It might feel clunky and awkward at first as you re-learn how to use it. But it’s always available to you.
Whether it’s through morning meditations, prayer, journaling, reflection, affirmations, or just a little pep-talk, don’t forget to pump yourself up.
