How much is enough and when should one know when the fill line has been reached?
Nobody knows.
The human mind is capable of far more than any of us truly realize. The human body is similar, especially in the ways that the mind and body communicate directly with each other.
For example, the mind may tell us that we simply cannot ride a bike for 100 miles. As a result, when our body begins to reject the idea at mile 50, our mind will, through some sideways manner of internal empathy, encourage the body to just stop and be done.
Conversely, if the mind has been conditioned to believe that a 100 mile bike ride is absolutely achievable, the body may still respond in the same manner it does in the aforementioned example, but in this case the mind says, “Not yet. We aren’t stopping yet. We’re only halfway.”
Having witnessed, both in myself and in others, these two examples play out time and time again, I am left to believe that our minds and our bodies are capable of far more than we typically allow.
So why ask the question of how much is too much, only to follow it up with some analogy about riding a bike farther than most would? Because energy. Because physical and emotional energy. How much energy spent is too much for our brains and our bodies and at what point should we realistically pull back?
The answer is likely specific to each and every individual, but it really boils down to the return on investment quotient. Yes, the ROI.
So...perhaps a better way to phrase the questions is: What is my ROI on the energy I spend in a day?
Truthfully, the examination is probably only done in vain and the results, if any, are likely to be left on the table as I rush off to ride to work tomorrow. Now, though, as I am winding down from another day, in what has proven to be a more difficult time to be alive than any I have experienced previously, I am all the way in on this concept.
How much is too much? I suppose simply acknowledging the question is an indicator. If something feels like too much, it’s likely too much.
I remember, as I’m writing this, the period just before I filed for bankruptcy in 2009. In the months that led up to filing, I vividly remember getting home from another trip to the store and carrying bags into the house and thinking, “this kind of spending isn’t sustainable.” I thought it, but I didn’t act on it. I knew, in my gut, that the spending wasn’t sustainable and I did nothing to change it. Eventually everything culminated in economic failure and bankruptcy was inevitable. My gut knew.
It’s an identical process for knowing when my energy is exhausted, or, more specifically, when something is enough and when something is too much. My gut knows, every time, but my mind wants to tell me differently. Body versus mind. It never ends. Back and forth and back and forth.
I digress. Off topic. Completely off the path and onto an entirely different subject.
Do I know myself? Do I love myself without ego? Do I see my value without being self-centered? Do I present to others in way that is selfless? In what areas can I improve? Do I hear when I listen? Am I capable of change? Am I inclusive? Do I actually roll with things? Am I a weirdo? How many questions are too many questions?
I’m tired. Exhausted. Taxed. Work is pulling on me and there are no signs that it is going to let up. The kids are far away and my folks are living on an island. I am burning out and if I’m not careful I’m going to crash. Two days off are key. The internal analysis is helpful. It’s like fuel. A moment here and a moment there and the next thing I know I am fully aware and acknowledging my own discomfort and talking about it and continuing to grow. I continue to create boundaries. Don’t stop. Keep going. There is an end and it’s going to be great.