Fallback

I'm a big fan of being spent at the end of the day.  The feeling tells me that I have been maximally productive, that I've used all my potential and held nothing back.  However, feeling drained at noon, as I did today after our Respiratory exam? Not good at all. After the exam, I was a shell of my normal self and the difference was noticeable to others.

Unexpectedly, a solution comes from our studies of the respiratory system. Every one of us has numerous redundancies and safeguards in place to ensure that we do not run out of oxygen. Through one circuit of the body, your blood only unloads ~25% of its oxygen.  At rest, you only take in ~8% of the total lung capacity.  Due to a fine balance of passive forces, each breath requires merely 1 mmHg of pressure.

All of this insurance is setup and maintained constantly. Your body is preparing you for an emergency you hope never happens. I'm learning that I need to hold back my daily efforts in preparation for days like this. I pride myself on analyzing the details of the present moment.  I should shift my focus and energy to the future.

To function at 100% capacity, all the time, suggests an insecurity of one's abilities that needs to be suppressed by self-reassurance.