I can still hear the TV commercial jingle in my head from when I was a kid, “The best part of waking up is Folders in your cup.” I don’t know what gets you started in the morning but… There isn’t a morning that goes by where I am not faced with this question:

Do I CATCH up, KEEP up, or FILL up?

I don't know about you but far too often the first thing I’m tempted to do when I wake up is get my inbox emptied instead of my my soul filled.

• Catch up? Knock out a few dozen emails. Busily check off a few items on my “to-do” list before others can claim my time.

• Keep up? Surf social media to see what everyone else is up to until I realize I’ve burned up all my marginal time in the morning. 

• Fill up? Get into the Bible, pray, journal, write, go deeper into a book that is filling me, and exercise.

Like you, I want to make an investment into the rest of my day by giving myself an opportunity to be inspired and energized.

Setting myself up for success means being inspired through what I read, write or pray and energized by doing some kind of exercise.  What does your personal replenishment cycle look like?

At times, Jesus ran from the crowds and hid from His disciples.

"Self-care is the most selfless thing you can do. We believe this as if it's truth but practice as if it’s theory." 

On airplanes, they teach us to put on our own oxygen mask before we attempt to help anyone else. Passing out from a lack of oxygen isn’t a good state to be in when trying to “save” someone else’s life!

It’s no one else’s job to keep me filled up and inspired. That’s a self-leadership issue.

Before I “lay” down my life for my family, church and the needs of others I have to ruthlessly care for my own needs. We often forget or feel guilty when we realize that the most selfless thing you can do is to take care of yourself before serving others.

We all have to learn to manage a DAY before we can steward a LIFE. 

It’s important to recognize that everyone’s replenishment cycle activities are different.

What fills me could bore and drain you.

The point is not to replicate someone else’s routine, but to discover your own replenishment pattern. 

You’re not looking for some life-sucking, religious bondage but a personal play-book that leaves you replenished.

I think all of us need a spirit-led, customized plan on how to fill our cup each day before we are thrust in front of an onslaught of needs, problems and responsibilities.

Do you need to take some time this week and gain clarity on this pivotal question?

• Once you gain understanding on your replenishment cycle, you will be able to value it.
• Once you value it you will be able to protect it.
• Once you protect it you will be able to multiply it.

 

Tomorrow morning when you wake up…will you decide to CATCH up, KEEP up or FILL up?

 

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Photo credits: images.wisegeek.com, ithriveeachday.files.wordpress.com.