E is for Energy

At the point in which you're reading this post, I am beyond exhausted and in desperate need of energy. The MOPS sale is in full swing, and I've already spent the better part of twelve hours on my feet and am looking to do the same today. Before you cry me a river, I should add that some of the amazing women I work with have been on their feet even longer. Of course, I also will have to find time to sneak in a few minutes of my actual work at some point during the day, and maybe even get to see my family. Or at least kiss their sleeping little heads.

So why do it?

I always ask myself this question at some point during the sale, and some years I even think that it will be my last year. I have a supervisor position, which doesn't mean much of anything, so don't be too impressed. It just means I work long hours in exchange for the privilege of shopping early. And, I get some of the headache and responsibility of some of the buck stopping with me (but only in a small way- there are others with way more responsibility than me). It can be a lot.

But really, it goes back to the idea of energy.

There's no doubt that I spend three intense days working harder than I work all the other days of the year combined, plus all the time and hassle (remember puking dog?) getting my stuff ready to sell. But I'm with a group of women who are doing the exact same thing- some more, some less, but there's an energy of all being in it together, and at the end of the sale, realizing that you've had some fun, made some friends, made a little extra money (hopefully enough to cover what you spent at the sale), and supported an organization that uses the money to help other moms.

I like the energy of a group of people working together for a common goal. I like the energy of moments when you and another person are so exhausted that someone says something that makes no sense at all, and yet it makes perfect sense because you're so tired that your brain has found a way to make it work. I like the energy of friends you only see once a year who are still your friends. I like the energy of finding a good deal. I like the energy of clearing some of the junk out of my house that someone else is going to love. I like the energy of knowing that it's only temporary. I like the energy of connecting with people who share my faith but express it in different ways and go to different churches.

I wish I could find that same energy in all of the things I do that exhaust me. I hope, as I'm writing this post ahead of when I truly feel the exhaustion, that I will remember this energy and be able to finish well.

How do you handle challenges to your energy levels? How do you find energy when you're exhausted?