More Fun Than Tonguing A 9-Volt

Ever have one of those days when you just can’t do it? Not today. You can’t even. So stop asking. You’ve reached the end of your rope, the bottom of your drawer, the last straw of your tolerance for Andy (the well-intentioned but slightly-annoying-if-you’re-being-honest guy from accounting). Andy.

If one more person asks you for something without at least saying hello first, you are going to scream. You need some chocolate, your dog, and processing time with your mother because it is just one of those days.

Hopefully, that’s not going on today, of course. But you know the kind of day I’m talking about…
However. At some point in the not-too-distant future, you might want to dig in. Your energy will pick up, you’ll feel an emotional upswing, and you might get curious about what’s happening (or not happening) that seems to be stealing your sprinkles.

So… right then, on that day, you will probably NOT want to take a big ol’ leap into the deep end of personal development and see what you can drrrredge up.

Here is something of a framework for understanding the source and the remedy of the feelings of overwhelm that occasionally plague us all.

I have noticed something mysterious about people.
What do you make of that? Where does that energy come from? And more importantly, how can we do it on purpose?

We always seem to have enough energy and positivity to do what is most important to us. Think about it. Your friend just got off work. She’s exhausted, she says. She’s not going to make it out to drinks tonight. Can she have a raincheck?

Now imagine that through some chance, you wind up with two tickets to her favorite band’s sold-out show that same night. If you call her back, do you think she’ll still be exhausted?

Most people have experienced something like this. A surprising store of energy suddenly floods the body, and off you zip, sails billowing in that second wind.

To be clear, I’m not talking about faking it. I don’t mean you grin and bear the pain and tell yourself it’s not so bad. I’m talking about when you actually feel that energy.

The thing you’ve probably noticed about that energy when it does comes around, is that it is usually when something important (to you) is in your experience. This indicates two sides of the same truth. First, that important things can give us energy, and second that things that give us energy are important to us.

1. Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the center of it (or open two writing windows in the digital landscape of your typing preference).
2. On one side write the word ‘Charge’ and on the other, the word ‘Drain’.
3. Start with the drain side. Make a bulleted list of all of the things that drain your energy, and come up with as many as you can. These can be people, thoughts, situations, responsibilities, etc. Try to get a good list going. Clarity is the goal, so be specific.
4. Then move on to the Charge side and list them out. Think of as many things as you can that wind up giving you energy. What are things with which you would participate, even if you were exhausted? When does your energy pick up throughout the day? Again, be specific.

The following mindfulness exercise that will provide double returns. You can both access more energy and add additional meaning to your life. Sounds good? Let’s do this thing.

Tip: People tend to come up with some of their best answers right after they decide they can’t come up with any more ideas.

You can check this right now. Imagine for a moment what your day would be like if it consisted of only the things in the Charge column. Really imagine a day like that for a second.

Now consider the resource that you have just created for yourself. This is like a formula for what energizes and motivates you, and what robs you of your power. The more of the Charging and less of the Draining things you experience, the more net power you have in your life.

Now notice how much energy those things in the Drain column are costing you.

The great thing about this process is that not only is it illuminating and energizing just to read the things on the list, it is also a watch list for things that will come along and suck your soul out through your eyeballs.

Use this to eliminate things that drain you, and incorporate more things that charge you and pretty soon you’ll have more positive vibes than the south pole of an electro-magnet.

Happy flowing…