Running on Fumes….or Dysfunction????

What a whirlwind this spring has been already! I am loving the warmer weather, the fact the snow is melting, and the signs that I will soon be enjoying my back patio with a glass of wine or cold beer. However, in both my own life and those around me, I have had a constant stream of conversations in the last few weeks about how we are overbooked, tired, and feel like we are running on fumes.

Yes, the common phrase people use often is “running on fumes”. It is a state of life in which we are tired and run down….barely making it to the next obligation that we have. However, as I looked at my calendar I am not sure the phrase is correct. Should the phrase really be “Running on Dysfunction?”

Is the only reason we get to the point where we are nearly empty is simply that we live dysfunctional lives? 

• We have unrealistic work schedules and jobs that require us to take on too much. 
• We are raising children in which their schedules require a date book of their own. 
• We don’t want to deny our children anything, give them everything and wonder why they are not equipped to be adults. 
• We all seem to want fairy tales lives with immaculate homes and yards, endless travels and of course the best of everything.

However, these all come at a cost….a big cost. Keeping schedules and jobs to accomplish all of this is near impossible even for the best multi-tasker. Add in the pull from social media and all the traps that come with that and we certainly can not keep afloat.

Therefore I encourage you each to look at the dysfunctional items in your life and evaluate their worth. Do they truly have the need in your life or would you find more joy in doing life a little differently? 

I hope that my phrase will soon be “running on autopilot” in which my life is simplified enough that most things take care of themself without an endless juggling act that is exhausting. Good luck to each of you as well!

Contributed by Jessica Clemens