Energy Leaks

---

We were standing in the laundry room. My husband was about to head out the door for a three day business trip. I was feeding the dogs. My glasses were still on and I hadn’t gone to the bathroom yet. I wanted to be up to say goodbye to my husband and the dogs were eager for breakfast, so there was a lot going on.

When I heard a weird buzzing in my ears I didn’t think much of it. I often “hear” things like that. But this was different.

“Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

I opened the door to our storage/utility closet and immediately knew something was wrong. The floor was wet, winter shoes were soaked. I discovered the source — a small yet steady stream of water shooting out of a small copper pipe.

My husband really needed to leave. 

“I’ll handle it,” I said.

I didn’t freak out. I didn’t get worked up. I said I’d handle it, and I did.

I moved things out of the way. I covered the pipe so it would stop spraying. I put a bucket under it. I got my contacts in, filled a few cups of water and turned off the main water valve. Eventually the spraying stopped and I was able to see what was going on.

Pipe going to nowhere – and a water leak!

The pipe that had a leak was of no use to the system. At one point it went to something but it no longer did — it was the end of the line and had no use.

My father-in-law came over and confirmed my assessment. The old pipe was cut out and removed. In fact, a whole section of pipes were cut out and removed — they were useless and leaking out precious water.

In managing this home issue I thought about my own life — where am I leaking out precious energy? Do I have extra, random “pipes” that need to be removed?

Since participating in Beth’s Express and Emerge program last month, I’ve been thinking a lot about my energy. It’s sacred and every little bit matters. I don’t want any energy leaks — I want to use it wisely and intentionally. If I think about just the past week, I recognize places where I let my energy leak:

• Worrying about whether a customer would like a quilt I made 

• Getting annoyed with the way someone else chose to use their time

• Overthinking reasons for my fatigue

• Trying to manage someone else’s pain

Worry is a big one for me. It’s like that pipe just hanging out in our utility closet with no particular purpose or usefulness, just a place to leak water when the seal breaks. I let worry seep out my energy on a regular basis. Just think what I could do with that energy if I turned to my breath or grounded my feet on the earth instead of worrying about things I can’t control?!

I’ve also discovered that because of the pandemic, I’ve lost much of my relational stamina. Being around people wears me out. This is a strange experience for me because I’m an extrovert — I usually gain energy when I’m around people. Instead, after just a few hours around family I’m exhausted and ready for a nap. Even an outdoor lunch with co-workers whom I hadn’t seen since March left me with little energy to spare.

So, something that used to be a source of energy for me has become (hopefully temporarily!) an energy leak. I have to be careful about how I use that energy, and I have to make sure there’s plenty of downtime afterward to recharge. 

Energy leaks, just like that pipe, can cause big messes.

I get overly fatigued and don’t make good choices for myself. I find myself becoming sensitive to comments or situations that don’t normally bother me. My body, mind and spirit just don’t have bandwidth to handle all the things coming toward me when my energy is low. Misunderstandings, unnecessary arguments and hurt feelings can result.

I’m guarding my energy right now. Instead of staying at a family function all afternoon, I left after two hours. I was the first one to leave, and some seemed surprised that I was going. I felt a little guilt, but then remembered I don’t have as much energy to give right now. Leaving was an opportunity to prevent the loss of necessary energy.

One way I recharge and gain back some energy.

I’m taking other opportunities to reserve energy: I sleep more and haven’t run in quite a while. I don’t force myself to get in all my steps every day. I listen to my body while practicing yoga and notice when I need to take it easy. I pay attention, notice and name what I need — in other words, I’m living in the midst. These are all ways I’m patching up any leaks I find — or prevent them altogether!

There are so many ways for us to unintentionally leak our energy right now. Have you noticed you’re more tired or lack motivation? If so, where might you be leaking energy? And how might you patch the leak?

---

Did you enjoy this read?

Please leave a comment below and share the link!

---

RECENT ARTICLES

---