In my previous post, I wrote about healthy boundaries and how they are essential for living a life with positive energy (https://fearlessandfaithful.com/i-draw-the-line/). Today we are going to talk about energy: what drives it and how to keep the positive energy flowing.
Starting this blog has given me so much more energy. I absolutely love sitting down and writing these posts. In order to have the time to do that, I have committed to getting out of bed at 6 a.m., (sometimes it’s actually earlier) grabbing a cup of coffee, lighting the candle on my desk, and playing my favorite classical music playlist for studying from Spotify. (click here if you’d like to take a listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6wObnEPQ63a4kei1sEcMdH?si=BLmsj_lfSWCn7wzzK06W7w). This sets the tone for me and allows me to collect my thoughts and start writing. I will usually begin by journaling and then I will start writing my next post. The journaling is sort of the warm-up exercise if you will. I sit there & write for at least an hour because once I start this exercise, I truly lose track of time. After I feel satisfied with what I have written, I will then eat the next big frog which is exercise. Most of my productivity happens before 10 am. I write for my blog, check my real estate-related emails and hot sheets, post something on social media to help drive my brand, exercise, follow up on any contracts or issues that need my attention, and of course throw in a load of laundry and feed the cat. Actually, my cat demands I feed her first thing!
I think one of the first steps to creating positive energy in our lives is to not only recognize what it is that gives us energy but also what it is that steals our energy. Once we do that, we can then begin taking steps to correct that.
Take The Energy Test
Take a look at your daily routine., Check your habits. Is there something in your daily routine that if you changed, eliminated, or improved upon, you would feel more energized?
Stop and think about how you generally feel throughout the day. What is your typical mood like? Are you generally happy or are you frequently angry, irritable, or annoyed? Do you often feel stressed? Do you have a headache by 3 pm? Ask yourself why and then try to eliminate those things that are causing that negative energy or serving to drain you.
Some signs of negative energy are feeling tired all the time and even procrastinating can be a sign of negative energy. Sometimes feeling tired isn’t so much from a lack of energy but rather a lack of doing something that inspires us and makes us want to jump out of bed. When we feel inspired to do something, we naturally feel more energetic. It doesn’t seem like a chore or something we “have” to do but rather something we “want” to do.
Sometimes all we need to do to correct the energy around us is to practice more self-care. Taking a hot bath, a long walk or practicing yoga are great ways to shift the physical energy in us. The fragrant smell of diffusing essential oils can also instill feelings of energy and peacefulness in us. I sometimes like to put my earbuds in and listen to a podcast or favorite playlist while I clean or work in the yard. It just makes the mundane tasks seem more enjoyable and podcasts are a great way to learn something new and get inspired. I know for me, the playlist is the key to creating the energy I need to power through a workout, especially when I’m doing cardio. I simply cannot run or spin without my favorite workout music blaring in my ears!
People Give & People Take
Sometimes there are people in our lives too, the energy vampires I mentioned previously, that need to be addressed. Every human being we come across has the potential to bring positive or negative energy into our life. When you’re around positive people, they are naturally more uplifting, often motivating us to be better versions of ourselves and we generally enjoy their company. Negative people, on the other hand, leave us feeling drained, uneasy and we usually don’t want to hurry up and schedule that next coffee session with them!
It’s impossible to think that we can go through life without experiencing or avoiding negative energy. In order to live a positive life and effectively live our best life, we need to surround ourselves with the people and things that bring more positive energy into our lives. It is okay and in fact, necessary to release toxic people from your life and remove yourself from toxic situations. I say it is necessary, but it certainly is far from easy, especially when those toxic people are family members. Just because you share DNA with someone does not mean they should have the power to destroy your inner peace. Love yourself enough to know that there are some things you just cannot change, no matter how much you may want to because you can only control yourself. If you have done your best and it still isn’t changing the situation, then simply let it go. If you are a spiritual person, praying about it may help you feel more at peace.
I can vividly remember my first professional job out of college. I was working for a marketing company in Cincinnati and the boss (who I thought I was going to totally click with,) turned out to be the boss from hell. She had a way of pitting people against each other just to see who would rise to the top. I was so naive that it took me a while to realize what was going on. Any compliments I received from her were also tempered with an insult or criticism that led to incredible insecurity in me. I was afraid to make a mistake. I didn’t know how to take direction from her. I started doubting what I was doing. I also didn’t feel there was anyone I could trust within the organization. Like most advertising agencies, everyone is on edge and worried about keeping their jobs in such a fast-paced, competitive environment. Everyone operated in CYA mode. I literally would be sick to my stomach every Sunday night, dreading going into work the next morning. I had no idea how to protect myself from that negative energy nor did I recognize that this was not a reflection of me, but of the environment and poor leadership. Thankfully I ended up getting let go along with a few others due to budgetary constraints when we lost our biggest client. I was so relieved but had I been more self-aware at the time, I wouldn’t have suffered in that job for so long. I would have recognized this wasn’t a healthy place for me. I would have taken matters into my own hands and left sooner. Even still, with all the negativity, I learned some very valuable lessons from that job. So if you are finding yourself in a tough situation that is affecting your physical health, your peace of mind & your emotional health, it’s time to walk away. There is no shame in saying this isn’t right for me anymore.
Take a few moments to write down some things that make you feel energized and happy. Is it exercise, being around a certain fun-loving friend, reading, meditating, helping others, visualization exercises? Who or what gives you energy. Writing these things down will help you to consciously steer your activities in this direction. Conversely, write down the things and the people that steal your energy and then make a conscious effort to avoid or limit them as much as possible.
Knowing that what you focus on expands, commit to yourself to focus on the positive rather than the negative. Begin keeping a gratitude journal as this practice helps keep us in a state of mindfulness. Decide that you will welcome positive energy into your life and in fact, that by being the energy you want to attract, you will bring more of it into your life. Then go out into the world, and Fearlessly and Faithfully share that positive vibe!
