You are as tired as you think you are

I had a great conversation with my driver Shawn this morning. These drivers have a tough job. They get up at 4:00 am and sometimes work until 6:30pm (kind of a long shift) and although their jobs are not physically strenuous, they require rapt attention. Dealing with customers can also be mentally challenging. Of course they are underpaid. Add it all up and it makes for an exhausting day...if you allow it to be.

Earlier in my career, my wife and I both worked long hours (this was BK). We were up by 5:30, she didn't get home until after 7:00pm and me by after 11:00pm 4 days a week. When Friday rolled around, all we wanted to do was watch TV and fall asleep early for a change. We were absolutely exhausted...we thought.

We were planning an exotic vacation (remember this was BK) and decided we wanted to learn to SCUBA dive. Rec Dive had classes, but the only night we could be sure both of us could make was Friday night from 7-10pm. The first Friday night we got home from work expecting to be dragging. Surprisingly we were not. Filled with anticipation and enthusiasm for this new experience, we were like a couple of 10 year olds who didn't want to get out of the pool...no matter how blue our lips turned.

For 6 weeks we attended class, both in the classroom and the pool, and for 6 weeks we not only went to class we went out after class with some of the other students. Exhaustion....never.

Oddly enough once the classes were over, we went back to the old routine. Friday night TV fall asleep early, man were we exhausted...or were we?

We discovered that exhaustion has more to do with what you need to do than what you have already done! If you have things to do, places to go, people to meet, you have as much energy as you need! That does not mean the body can not become physically "whooped", but in today's power window, electric garage door, remote control TV, electric food processor, society, we really don't expend much physical energy. When people talk about mental exhaustion, it's just that, mental! That means you can also become mentally un-exhausted.

After that experience I realized that when I was "exhausted" it was a choice, not a condition. I am not talking about being sleep deprived, the body does need sleep. Without the right amount a person can wear themselves out. Most of us "exhausted" people though get enough sleep. If you don't, a 20 minute nap does wonders (no more no less).

You are only as tired as you choose to be! While I am at it, you are only as happy, sad, confident, fearful, stressed, calm, angry, loving, (insert your situation here) as you choose to be!

I choose to be a morning person (and an afternoon, evening late-night person). I choose to be filled with enthusiasm. I choose to be in a great mood (most of the time), and when I'm in a bad mood, that's my choice as well.

Choose to be all the positive things, forget about about the impact on those around you, you will feel 1,000 % better

By the way, if you haven't figured out what BK is, it stands for Before Kids, the wonderful time in your life where money is more available, you have extra time on your hands, far less aggravation and stress, and a lot less exhaustion!