Dwindling Resources - Energy

Dwindling Resources - Energy

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go. —Oscar Wilde

I THINK MOST of us are in the middle of a major energy crisis—and I don’t mean oil.

If I were to ask you how your energy level is today, how would you answer? Are your engines revved and raring to go . . . or as Daddy would say, are you “too pooped to pop”?

I work hard to channel my energy, but sometimes I make bad choices emotionally, physically, and mentally. I expend way too much energy trying to reason with unreasonable people; I push myself unnecessarily trying to be healthy; and I fry my brain cells working hard, rather than smart.

Case in point: rather than walking away from a fight I knew I wouldn’t win, I battled with the new owner of the dry cleaners we had used for four years. The previous owner was an honorable man who had once promptly replaced my sweater when an employee shrunk it.

But the new owner must have missed customer-service day when he was getting his business training. The cleaners washed, rather than dry-cleaned, my brand-new white slacks. I took them back the next day, pointing out that the fabric was damaged and that they had shrunk. He said he could “fix it.” Hoping to get my new summer pants in my closet, I agreed to let him try. But, of course, they weren’t right. He tried again. And then again. Finally, I told him, “Clearly this is not working. Would you please refund the replacement cost of these pants?” No. He said I must have gained weight and that’s why they no longer fit.

Oh, talk about spoiling for a fight—not only had the cleaners ruined my brand-new clothes, the owner had insisted I gained weight! For ten days I returned to his business, arguing, pleading, and even trying on the pants, all to prove he was wrong. I expelled tremendous emotional energy trying to get him to right his wrong. What a waste of my emotional energy!

The godly are rescued from trouble,and it falls on the wicked instead.With their words, the godless destroy their friends,but knowledge will rescue the righteous. (Proverbs 11:8-9)

Why do we try to reason with unreasonable people?

Some of us do this with significant others and family members. We wear ourselves out trying to instill reason to their whacked-out thinking when we really should apply some of that reasonable thinking to our own approach: Give. It. Up.