“Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
― H. Jackson Brown Jr.
We all have the same hours, but do we all have the same level of energy within those hours? Do you feel like you have enough energy to accomplish all you want to accomplish? Enough energy to be the father, mother, spouse or friend you want to be? Enough energy to create the life you’ve always wanted?
The truth is that energy itself is limitless and we all have access to it. Physically, we can support the flow of energy in our bodies by getting good, restful sleep, eating well, and exercising. Beyond that, I’ve noticed that people with lots of energy do—and don’t do— a few key things:
High energy people DON’T let energy vampires suck the life out of them. Energy vampires are those people who drain you. It might be a buddy who insists on foisting his strong political opinions on you every time you get together. It might be the co-worker who constantly whines about whatever is happening in the office. It might be the sister-in-law who constantly finds fault. It might be the significant other who constantly demands your attention. When you spend time with an energy vampire, you feel drained and exhausted. You have nothing left for anything or anyone else—including yourself.
High energy people DO set boundaries for themselves. High energy people tend to surround themselves with positive, uplifting people. They set limits on how much time (if any) they spend with energy vampires and set clear boundaries: “We can get together but I’m just not going to talk about politics with you. And if you start the discussion, I’ll need to leave.” “This hour is set aside for my meditation. If you need something from me, you will have to wait until I’m through.” High energy people understand the need to “apply your own oxygen mask first before assisting others.”
High energy people DON’T waste energy in avoidance or procrastination. They don’t keep endless To Do lists filled with tasks that never get crossed off. They don’t put off doing what needs doing until tomorrow. They don’t ignore that nagging feeling that something needs attention. As Henry Ford warned, “Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.”
High energy people DO take action. Whenever they recognize that a small or large task needs to get done, they get it done. When they sense the nudge of “something’s not right,” they pay attention to that nudge and fix whatever needs fixing. Rather than squandering precious energy in the swamp of procrastination, they use that same energy to face the issue and take action. It takes as much or more energy to avoid clearing the rain gutters, writing that report, or calling that old friend, as just getting those things done.
High energy people DO NOT live in the past or the future. They don’t spend time reliving what happened yesterday or twenty years ago. They don’t hang onto old relationships, ideas, or identities that no longer serve them. They don’t wait to be happy “someday when” or spend energy day dreaming about what could be.
High energy people DO live in the present. They recognize that the only real time they have is now. If they have a goal or dream, they stay centered in what they can do today toward that goal or dream. If they’ve taken wrong turns in the past, they dig for the gift or learning of that experience then let it go. They play the “what can I do in this moment” game rather than the “if only” game.
High energy people DO NOT spend their energy in worry, regret, or indecisiveness. They don’t go for the undeniably right, certain-to-be-perfect, guaranteed-not-to-fail decision. They don’t revisit past choices and second guess themselves. They don’t consume energy in fantasizing about the worst that could happen. Erma Bombeck once said, “Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere” and I’d say the same about regret and indecision: You expend a lot of energy but they don’t move you forward in any way.
High energy people DO just get on with it. If they’re concerned about something, they figure out if they can do anything to change it and act. Or they realize the concern is not in their control and accept it. Rather than regretting what did or did not happen, they take steps to create different outcomes in the present and future. Rather than letting indecision sap their energy, they use that same energy to make a choice and move forward.
High energy people DO NOT settle for the life that’s been handed to them. They don’t just “fall into” the next job or relationship. They don’t stay stuck in dead end careers or poor choices they’ve made. They don’t allow physical, intellectual or financial limitations determine the course of their lives. They don’t allow their comfort zones to define who they can be.
High energy people DO find their passions and create goals. Passion and inspiration fuel our energy. Think about the difference between waking up feeling jazzed about the day ahead versus opening your eyes to a day you’re dreading. High energy people don’t leave this to chance but make the effort to identify what excites them. They then create clear goals around their passions. They let these goals and passions draw them forward. As Norman Vincent Peale pointed out, “The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.”
“Goals provide the energy source that powers our lives. One of the best ways we can get the most from the energy we have is to focus it. That is what goals can do for us; concentrate our energy.”
—Denis Waitley
To your TOTAL empowerment!
Mahalo—
Dr. Matt.
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Byline: Matthew B. James, MA, Ph.D., is President of The Empowerment Partnership. Author of several books, Dr. Matt has trained thousands of students to be totally empowered using Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Huna, Mental Emotional Release® (MER®) therapy, and Empowerment Fit, a program that incorporates targeted mind/body/spirit practices to create optimal physical fitness and health. Download his free special report, Everything You’ll Ever Need to Know to Achieve Your Goals, LINK. To reach Dr. James, please e-mail him at info@Huna.com or visit his blog at www.DrMatt.com.