What is Your Broken Hot Water Heater?

 

A leaking hot water heater, filling up your garage, basement, or closet with water.... would you give that immediate attention?  I heard this story second hand, but it comes back to me over and over.  A young lady was at work and she got a call from her apartment manager that her hot water heater burst and there was water coming out under her door.  Of course, she immediately went home - canceling her meetings and appointments for the afternoon as she drove.  By the time this ordeal was over she calculated that she spent seven hours that week dealing with the issue.  From cleaning up, to scheduling service calls and waiting for the delivery.  She arranged all of her tasks at work to accommodate for this because...isn't it obvious.... this was an immediate need!  When it was all said and done, she wondered, what if my HEALTH is an immediate need too.  Wait a minute, isn't my HEALTH an immediate need?  Hasn't it always been? 

Cut to me.  I wondered this too... What if I treat my HEALTH like a broken hot water heater?  What if I purposefully make the time for it?  A lot of wonderful shifts happened for me when I adopted this mindset.  There was a time in my life when I thought:  If I don't have a meeting this afternoon, I'll go to the 5:00 yoga class.  Now, I don't schedule or accept meetings that conflict with yoga.  I was shy about this at first and I'm not even sure why?  A cultural belief perhaps, that good people work hard and don't leave work to do something for themselves?  A persistent imposter complex, perhaps, constantly needing to prove that I am enough, that I can do the job, seeking approval from others.  Over time, however, I started seeing the profound changes in my life - and I came to see this not as a secret, but rather something to be shared and celebrated.

By now, everyone that works with me knows that I leave the office at 4:30 for my 5:00 workout.  They eventually stopped sending me late afternoon meeting requests.  They also saw a leader more calm, more patient, more focused and efficient.  I like to think that I'm creating a ripple effect in setting this example.

What is your broken hot water heater? What is your 5:00 yoga class?  Maybe it is time with nature, time with family, time to prepare a nutritious meal.  I encourage you to find this healthful cornerstone practice and share it with the world - having a ripple effect of influence on others.  Happy New Year to all!  Namaste