Check Engine Light

The check engine light keeps coming on in my car. I go to the mechanic and he can't find anything wrong. So, I'm beginning to ignore it. Is that wise? Who knows? If I get stranded by the side of the road, I will know.

Sometimes don't you wish you had a check engine light on the "dashboard" of your life? When it starts to flash, we could stop and go get it checked out. And we would ignore it at our own peril.

Instead we go along pushing our bodies harder and harder sometimes running on fumes or worse yet empty. We might be limping along on one bald tire throwing our entire body out of alignment or we might forget to check the oil and before we know it we are broken down on the side of the road. I know the metaphor is a bit mixed and yet I also know that you can get my point from this because we have all ignored warning signs that our bodies were giving us that it was time for a tune up. The consequences haven't been pretty.

What is it in your body's warning system that signals you first that something might need attention? Do you get cranky and snap at everyone? Are you so tired that you secretly hope for a little cold to put you to bed for a day or so? Do your joints begin to ache from holding in your feelings? Is indigestion your first warning as you pop more and more antacids?

And when you think about taking care of yourself you decide you just don't have time and that things will slow down next week and you'll catch up on your sleep, eat better, exercise more. Only next week comes and nothing changes and you push on.

Our cars can't take that kind of non-care and function normally. Why do we think a complicated and marvelous machine like our bodies can? Why is it we take better care of our cars than we do ourselves? (And if your husband takes care of the car, you know how angry you would be if you ran out of gas or blew a tire or a white cloud of smoke on your way to work because he didn't take care of it).

Bottom line, my busy friends, check your engine light in your body today. What needs attending to, where do you need to go for this care and why are you waiting?

Take good care of yourself,
Nancy