I’ve taken a break from blog writing for a bit.
And while I’m writing a new post now, this may be the only for a while. Or it may not be. All I know is I want my blog to continue being on my terms only. I don’t want to feel compelled to write for any reason other than I feel the drive to.
Which is kind of what this post turns out to be about: pouring from an empty cup.
It’s a phrase most of us have heard, and I think it’s somewhere we’ve all been at different points in our lives. We get to the ‘empty cup phase’ when we put ourselves out there too much, do too much for others when we ourselves don’t have the recourses to continue to give.
Pouring from an empty cup feels like being extremely thirsty and not having a drink in sight. Parched. Empty. Drained.
But what I’d like to write about is this: when and how does a cup become empty, and is it possible to stop pouring before the cup is completely dry?
I’m learning. But it’s a delicate balance. It always has been. Especially because it’s sometimes only after the fact that we realise our cup has been empty a lot of the time we’ve been giving.
What fills your cup? What empties it?
One of the things that fill mine is getting the space I need, both physically and emotionally. I’m the kind of person who takes time to process things, and I need space to do it properly. One of the easiest ways to drain my reserve is to not have the space I need.
But here’s the thing: when the occasion calls for it, I can rise up to meet it. I can put on my metaphoric armour and front up to almost anything. The catch? Well, it catches up with me later. Literally.
Being unstoppable can only last so long, after all.
I’m wondering: is there a way to be there for the important people in our lives and be there for ourselves too? Maybe.
All I know is that when my personal cup becomes empty there are things I can do to replenish it. But it takes time. Music, nature, walks, good conversations — all these help fill my cup. But once a vessel becomes completely empty, it’s much harder to fill it again.
But I want to know: what fills your cup? And when do you know it’s empty? But most importantly, how do you go about restoring that balance?
