Eighth Teaspoon - What’s Draining Your Battery?
In July, my mother told me that her phone kept dying quickly. When I looked at her phone, I double pressed and clicked her home button twice. Sure enough, up popped so many screens that were open in her background. I explained to her that these were all open and running in her background. She said to me, “but I closed them.” I had to show her that by only pressing her home button once did not mean she closed them. Confused, she showed me she pressed the home button and the screen that was open went away. I had to explain again, though it looks like it has went away, it really hasn’t. It is quietly running in the background, draining her cellphone’s battery.
I then spent the next bunch of minutes (not going to specify how long it took!) teaching my mom to double click her home button and swipe the screens up. That double click was really tricky as my mom likes to click…click….when it has be click click for the screens to pop up. My guess is that Apple’s team does not have anyone on their team that was born before the 1950’s, but they should since many of their customers are alive and kicking, and trying to figure out this technology. But alas, I digress. The point is, it took awhile for my mom to learn how to close her screens so that she can save her battery life.
Now this got me thinking….how many screens to we have running in the background of our own lives? In other words, what worries, behaviors, belief systems, inner critic, etc., that we have quietly running in the background that is draining us from our life force. Annnnnd how many are running that we are not even aware of! That is the tricky one!
The only way to be aware is to slow down and take notice. I think a lot of people think meditation is peaceful, and it can be. But it can also be very challenging as it brings to awareness aspects of ourselves that we may not like to see. I know, it’s tough. But, here is the good news, with awareness, you can grow, learn, and change. You can “swipe up” those aspects of yourself that are quietly running in the background through self-care, self-kindness, self-acceptance, and self-love, all the while making efforts to redirect yourself back to your higher nature.
Now, you will hear me say this time and time again….what you practice, you become good at. If you work on practicing to slow down, be gentle with yourself, and swipe up/redirect yourself, you will find yourself feeling revitalized and more fulfilled in life, as you will be more connected to your authentic self. On the flip side, if you continue to practice ignoring what is running in your background, you will be drained, worn out, and ultimately, you will become sick in one form or another (physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually).
Careful - habits take awareness to break and have a funny way of sneaking back in. For example, in November when I saw my mom again, her phone battery was dying quickly again. I checked, and sure enough, there were many screens running in her background. She had forgotten how to double click to swipe up. I had to re-teach her again. I told her she should practice this after every time she opens a screen so that it becomes second nature. The same is for us to practice every day to assess what habits (samskara in yoga, which are imprints on the mind) and to redirect ourselves time and time again.
With that said, may you slow down enough, take notice what is draining your life force, and “swipe up” to find yourself revitalized to life!