You were never meant to run on empty

 America Runs on Dunkin’.

A simple slogan that suggests that Dunkin’ Donut’s coffee, donuts, and snacks provide the fuel that keeps busy Americans going.

If you’re running on empty, tired, or drained, no worries. Dunkin’s got you. Grab a large Vanilla Creme Cold Brew and a Cotton Candy donut and the 103 grams of sugar will make it feel like you’re in a race car running on NOS. 🏎️

In other words: Americans, get your caffeine fix and sugar high at Dunkin’.

And people do. In 2024, Dunkin’s revenue was $13.8 billion. Billion. With a “B”. 

We’re tired but we just need to push through. Life feels like a never ending grind, we’re running on fumes, and even the things we want to do can feel exhausting.

And our players feel it, too. We rush them from school to practice to youth group to social activities and then back home again to get all of their homework done. Whew. 

Just like us, they’re drained, too. 

And we feel stuck. So we run to places like Dunkin’ to get unstuck. Even for just a little while. But the stuck feeling comes back and the motivation has disappeared. Poof. Just like that.

But here’s the good news: we don’t have to stay stuck.

If motivation has disappeared, it’s time to recharge—to refill our and our player’s emotional and spiritual tank so we can move forward again.

Now typically, I try real hard not to let my phone battery drop to 1%. But I know people who do. Instead of charging it, they just keep using it. The screen dims, apps lag, and eventually—boom. It dies.

We do the same thing to ourselves. We push harder, ignoring the warning signs, pretending we don’t need a break. Then, one day, we crash. Hard. And we become like the phone with 0% battery. Powerless and useless.

And this is where Slingshot Esports can help. Our events recharge both players and parents by offering an encouraging and fun safe to play. We exist to recharge players’ batteries.

But why do we push so hard and choose to ignore the warnings?

Because somewhere along the way, we started believing these three lies:

1) I Don’t Have Time to Rest. There’s always one more assignment. One more match. One more thing to do. We treat rest like it’s something we don’t really need, but in reality, it’s a necessity.

Think about it—even Jesus took time to rest. Mark 6:31 tells us that Jesus took time to go to a quiet place and get some rest.

If Jesus—who literally had the weight of the world on His shoulders—made time to rest. It’s crazy to think that we don’t need it.

2) I Should Just Push Through. We live in a world that glorifies the grind. If you’re struggling, the answer is always: Work harder. Stay up later. Just do better.

I hate to admit it, but I ran out of gas once. I thought that I could keep driving and that even though the needle was on Empty, there was still a little bit more I could squeeze out. There was until there wasn’t.

Burnout isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign that you need to refuel. Isaiah 40:31 encourages our hope in God which then allows us to renew our strength.

3) If I Take a Break, I’m Failing. We treat rest like it’s a waste of time. But the truth? Rest is what makes us stronger.

Athletes don’t train nonstop—they build in rest days to let their muscles recover. Gamers don’t go pro by playing 24/7—they take breaks, reset their minds, and come back sharper.

We and our players are no different.

We’re not meant to run on empty. God created us to have rhythms of work and rest.

If you or your player have been feeling drained, here’s what I need you to hear: You are not broken. You are not failing. You just need to recharge.

And the best part? God is ready to fill you up again.

So, make your final run to Dunkin. And then take a break. Breathe deeply and rest. You were never meant to run on empty.

Make the connection:

• How can we find ways to recharge when we feel unmotivated and isolated?

We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good.