I'm currently out of town for some R&R, but thanks to the magic of technology I still get to share with you! Thankfully, what I want to say fits right in with my being away.
Some of you know I have a small part-time job (my side-hustle!) at our local airport here in town. One of the tasks I do everyone once in a while is refill the tank on our Deice machine (here in Redding it's more like Defrosting the planes!). This task requires the use of a small portable pump with hoses connected to it that goes into the holding tank for the extra deice fluid, which then gets pumped into the larger deicing machine (I know, way too much airport nerd stuff, but hang with me). In order for this small portable pump to actually work, you have to unscrew a small cap and pour some water in there to "prime the pump." By filling the small pump with some water, if fills up the empty space and allows the pump to actually do it's job.
I think you see where I am going with this. We are still in the early days of 2025 and so much of our work and lives are about pouring out into other people. But here's the thing, if we are empty, we actually don't have anything we can give to others! We need to remember that taking time to Prime the Pump of our own souls and hearts is absolutely critical to our ability to have anything to give to others. We've got to be intentional about Priming Our Own Pumps in order to function in a sustainable way this year.
When you think about this idea, what are the kinds of activities, patterns, and/or practices that help to fill you up? How could you approach those with intentionality in 2025? What adjustments need to be made in your weekly or daily schedules to help create a sustainable pathway of being able to help others? Are there certain perspectives or narratives that are running in your head that are negative that need to shift so you can see these practices as healthy and necessary? Is there someone you need to have a conversation with to help you think through and prioritize these practices for yourself, and what would it look like to reach out and have that chat?
Here's to all of us Priming The Pump this week (and this year)!
Be Well,
Stephen
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