18 March - Day 16 - Remember to recharge your batteries

I’d only got to the top of my road when I realised the bike battery hadn’t charged last night and there were only 3 ‘bars’ left. I continued on my way, deciding that if I could get to Owlerbar with 2 or at worse 1 left, I’d be able to cycle most of the rest of the way to the Centre. So pedalling extra hard and trying to maintain a constant speed, I got to the Centre with it showing one bar, relieved but with very tired legs. I know ‘real’ cyclists would say that such concern is ridiculous but I can reassure you that cycling uphill still for me takes real effort- even with a battery!

Being slightly obsessed, I spent a lot of the way here thinking about the phrase, ‘‘to recharge your batteries’, presuming it was quite a recent saying and thinking about what it means. Many dictionaries attribute it to Winston Churchill in a letter he wrote to his wife in 1921 but other sources suggest it can be found in texts in the 1890s.

More important than its origin though is the meaning behind it. We need to give ourselves time and space to recharge. We have to look after ourselves in order to be able to look after others. It is so easy to spend our lives rushing around looking after everyone else and we forget to look after ourselves. So, if you are reading this today, why not make a point of doing something that you know will recharge your batteries (restrictions permitting) and gain a new perspective. You can relax in the knowledge that I have the battery charging under my desk as I type!

Recharge your batteries to update your spirit - Refresh your perspectives to upgrade your soul. G Boston