My college roommate fretted endlessly about what her purpose in life was. She was driven to understand why she was on this planet. In sharp contrast to her drive was my seeming indifference to why I was here. It never occurred to me to think about my purpose. I didn’t seem to need one. I was just here, doing my thing.
The Power of Labels
You define your world with labels. You define those around you with labels. You define yourself with labels. Labels are powerful — be careful how you use them: they can make or break your attitude and energy.
The Calorie Forest
“You can’t see the forest for the trees” is an old idiom that roughly means you are looking at the small details so closely you are missing the bigger picture. Do you ever do that?
One such issue that fits in this category is the discussion about calories. “A calorie is a calorie” is often the opening salvo. The sides in the conversation tend to be dieters and scientist-types. It seems that positions get entrenched about whether a calorie is a calorie, or if they are “different kinds” of calories.
Energy Ripples
Have you ever noticed that at least sometimes your mood or energy level can start to match that of the people you are around? Sometimes that effect is called Crowd Mentality. Sometimes that feels like it’s you getting in sync with family or coworkers, but often it may feel as if you are being manipulated or controlled by the crowd.
Energy Sucks
Some days suck. When they suck days in a row your energy really sags.
Is that your experience?
Staying Energetic Through Retirement
My grandfather started dying they day he retired.
He’d been an active man, active all his life. He had helped his dad homestead as a kid, been in the Navy for WWI, and worked as a mechanic, carpenter, and miner during his adult life. He and grandma hunted and fished on weekends and for vacation. He was an energetic man.
Energize Me! Workshop Lessons
“I knew everything you talked about. I’d just never thought to apply any of that information to my low-energy situation!”
Those were the words voiced by a 100-year old woman after my first Energize Me! workshop. As we talked further she went on to say that she actually had learned some things, like the energizing techniques, but that the basic information was familiar to her.
What Good Is Energy?
You hear me talk about improving your energy levels and endurance. I connect low energy to performance, joy, clarity of thought, and engagement in life. You of course have your own thoughts about what energy means to you, and how it affects your life.
Perfect Storm
Everyone loses energy and focus, at least at some point. Even me! Here’s a recent example.
I found myself feeling a bit unproductive and unfocused, and a bit low-energy, recently. Pondering this unusual situation gave me the realization that I was feeling overwhelmed by a work project and anxious about a health situation. I love the work project, and at a conscious level I’m not distressed by the health situation. So, what’s the deal there?
The perfect storm was brewing.
A Little Change Makes a Big Investment
As I wander through life there are many interesting conversations to overhear and participate in. One that’s caught my attention lately is how hard change is. You can resist change and stay stuck in your situation, or you can grow through change and create a different reality.