FUEL Up!

Earlier this week my oldest son called me saying his FUEL gauge was showing he was using FUEL at a high rate of consumption. He said his gauge was lowering every few minutes while he was sitting int traffic.? He said it did not appear to see a leak, nor did he smell anything, however it was dropping fast, and he was concerned.? He said his check engine light came on too.? We discussed him getting off the highway he was on and getting to an Autozone to get the code read for his check engine light.? Ultimately, it was his FUEL gauge sending unit that was bad, and a relatively easy fix once he purchased a new FUEL sending unit.? I think we can all relate that we may be losing FUEL at a high rate of speed, and we get concerned that we are going to run out.? Let’s see what we can learn about what FUELs us:

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Food??????????????????????????????????

Food for FUEL?? FUEL is like food for your vehicle.? Just like a vehicle, we need FUEL to keep us going.? For many, the first thing that comes to mind is food.? Sure, it is important, however there are many different things that keep us going.? Like my son, he knew he had just put FUEL in his truck, however it was showing that it was running low and he got concerned?? What are you running low on, and you are concerned about?? What is the best FUEL for you?? To some it may be being outdoors, to others it may be time alone.? What is your FUEL for thought?? What allows you to relax and recharge?? Is your check engine light on?? Are you running low?? Are you stuck in traffic and have your blinker on, but nobody is letting you get over to change lanes or exit to get out of the hustle and bustle of traffic?? Take some time to find out what is FUELing you.? Then check your gauge.?

Understand???????????????????

Understand what drives you.? Do you know what keeps you going?? I know we just discussed food, but what drives you?? What is your why?? My son’s truck is his way to get to work, church, and get to school.? It is important to him.? It is his transportation to get to his fundamental needs.? His truck is not his why.? His dreams, goals, and his fiancé are.? They are what drives him to succeed, even with a check engine light on and a defective FUEL gauge sending unit.? He kept going because he knew he had just filled up his tank.? What fills your proverbial tank?? Do you know where you are at, or are you relying on sensors and gauges around you to tell you?? Where are you?? Ask yourself again. What is your why?? If you don’t know, it may be some time to exit off the expressway of life and find a place to park to do some soul searching.? Understand what is important to you and what is keeping you moving forward.? Do you understand what drives you?

Expectations????????????????

Expectations matter.? We get used to having and depending on a FUEL gauge that works, and a dash that does not have lights coming on. We depend on them to let us know the status of the vehicle.? Sure, they are meant to warn you about problems, but when a light comes on (depending on what year and what options your vehicle has) it just means something is not right and needs to be checked out.? To check it out, you need someone or something to read the codes. Only after that, can you address what is causing the “engine light” to come on.? Who do you go to when a warning light comes on?? Do you trust that they can help you figure out what the codes are that are causing the light to come on?? Are you willing to stop and find out, or are you scared to find out?? Take the time to read the codes. Find out why the light is on and correct the issue. If you don’t, it can lead to bigger problems.? Find out why the light is on.

Levels???????????????????????????????

Level up and know your levels.? Where are you at on your gauge?? Are you at ? of a tank?? Are you at ? of a tank or are you on E and running on fumes?? My son did not immediately replace the FUEL sending unit.? He knew approximately how many miles he can get on a tank of FUEL, and he knew when he approached a certain mileage, he needed to reFUEL again.? What do you have in place to help you know where your FUEL level is at?? Do you know how many miles you can go before you hit “E?”? In order to be able to know your levels or your proverbial limits, you have to drive for some time to get the knowledge or experience.? It is not wise to just guess.? Don’t’ forget that different vehicles and different people have different ranges.? Some can go longer than others and some need to be recharged more frequently than others. You know what kind of FUEL you need and you need to know where you boundaries are.? What and how far you can go, and don’t compare yourself to others.?

We all need FUEL to run on. FUEL is different for different people, just like we have different octane grades of FUEL for different vehicles. Zig Ziglar said, “Motivation is the FUEL, necessary to keep your engine running.”? Find your purpose and distance between FUELing up gets farther apart.? Food for thought FUELs you.? Know what is important and understand what drives you.? Expectations matter, and you can get used to certain things, but it is up to you to know what your levels are.? Make sure you know the cost of the FUEL you are using and don’t run out of gas.? Take the time to fill up frequently and know how far you can go before you need to fill up again.? FUEL up my friend and top off your tank whenever you can.?

Stay safe and stay well!

F – Food for FUEL?

U – Understand what drives you.

E – Expectations matter.

L – Level up and know your levels.