Energy
All that exists is energy. The heart of every atom is energy. Everything is made up of atoms. One hydrogen atom contains enough energy to level entire cities. Think Hiroshima. Energy in physics, is defined as the capacity to do work. Despite the fact that energy is in all things, it can seem illusive. You come home exhausted from a long day of work and collapse on the couch. Suddenly, an emergency arises that requires your immediate attention and without hesitation you leap into action. In reflection, the energy was always there but you were unaware of how to tap into the additional capacity. Some humans can run 100 miles without stopping. How? You could run 100 miles but choose not to, and that is okay. I could run 100 miles but choose not to do so. We don’t lack capacity to do extraordinary things. We lack an understanding of how energy works to power all aspects of our lives. From relationships, to work, to raising kids – energy is at the heart of it all.
Learning to manage your energy is at the heart of a life well-lived. I believe we have infinite energy but limited time, and this is why we must master and manage our energy. You have big dreams but are wasting your energy and more importantly your time, on trivial matters. Here is an example of wasted energy – Do you watch the news or read the newspaper or even glance at as online news source? From childhood, we were misled. We were taught to stay informed. At some level we were trained to worry about what was going on out there in the news. In reality, we have been suckered into giving our energy to matters that we cannot affect. Watching the news sucks energy right out of you. Some people argue the importance of watching the news is to stay informed as to what is going on the world. I can barely stay abreast of what is going on in my own world let alone the entire world. The news media is not about keeping you informed. It is a business that can only justify the fees it charges to advertisers by how many eyeballs are paying attention. The media world is in a very difficult transition and fighting for its very existence. This desperate battle for our attention has led them to sensationalize all matters. When it all matters, nothing matters. Just reading about the media and its plight has likely zapped your energy!
Here is the secret… Life equals energy. Each of us has the same composition. We are 99.9% the same genetically. The difference is how we use our energy.
Positive Energy
Do you meet people and get a good vibe? You can’t put your finger on it but you just like something about them. You somehow feel different in their presence. It is likely that you were in the presence of someone who has decided and learned how to manage their energy. Again, we all have the capacity to manage our energy but it takes time, attention, intention & other factors to achieve a high level of competency.
Use your imagination to recall times in which you experienced a high level of positive energy. Think of a vacation or special event like graduations, weddings, maybe a concert, or a significant accomplishment (especially with others). All seemed right with the world and the energy of the environment resonated with you and all involved.
Big idea #1
Resonance is the key to manifesting higher levels of positive energy in our lives. Resonance, in physics, is defined as the reinforcement or prolongation of sound (energy) by reflection from a surface or by the synchronous vibration of a neighboring object.
The reason we are overwhelmed with positive energy at times is a result of resonance. Resonance is harmony. Imagine a body of water that is still as glass. When a pebble is thrown into the water, the water is disturbed. The waves are equivalent to energy. If we threw a pebble in the same spot in which we through the first pebble, the waves would be in harmony. However, if we threw a pebble in a different spot, they would clash with the waves from the first pebble. One of the major challenges today is that we want to be our own waves. Social media, corporate marketing, news media, and the government focus on the obsession of self. These self-serving entities feed the voice in our heads. We obsess over the perception of the outside world. They knowingly or unknowingly promote contempt for all that are caught in their web. My intent is not to go dark on you, but to help you realize there are forces – massive forces – working day and might to create dissonance. Dissonance is a tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious, unsuitable elements. Dissonance is at the heart of Big Idea #2.
Big Idea #2
Negative energy is the result of dissonance, resistance, and lack of intention. Negative energy sucks the life right out of us. It demotivates us, especially when we are not living with purpose. Unknowingly, we start conversations with strangers with negative energy – “This weather sucks, when is summer going to get here, this place sucks, the service is awful”. You get the point. I am sure there is a psychological explanation as to why we almost always use a derogatory or negative statement to begin a conversation. This predisposition to go negative has an impact on our view of the world and our life. Negativity is like a disease and can lead us down a path of life-long suffering. There is no time for joy in negativity, except for the ego’s temporary satisfaction. Deep down we all seek validation. Negativity is a strategy our ego uses for validation. The next time you go negative, take a moment to observe where the negativity is coming from. Is it disappointment? Is it a lack of confidence? Try to understand why you are being negative. Then ask yourself – Does it really matter?
Here is the deal… we have something like 10 trillion cells in our body (powered by energy) and no real control over any of them. We don’t make our lungs work or our heart pump. If something goes wrong, doctors will attempt to get it back to normal but have little control. We resist so much because of the idea of control when in reality we control nothing except our attitude, response and effort. As an example, the majority of the time we can’t control our thoughts! Try to think or focus on one thing for 10 minutes.
Eliminate negativity from your life. It is poison. It will suck your energy dry and leave you void of any pleasures and can lead to depression. We must guard our energy and seek to reinforce it by getting around other positive people. Some will read this and say to themselves “I am a realist and sometimes things suck.” To that I say “Yes it does but your attitude, response and effort will control your ability to recover.” If you go negative, lash out, and do nothing you have planted the seeds of depression and cancer. Sickness thrives on negativity, yet will honor the positive person who is suffering through their darkest hour with dignity, hope, and positivity.
Big idea #3
Emotional energy can fuel joy and happiness in our lives. Love is an emotional energy. It is completely manifested inside of us. It is not a physical object. It can’t be harvested. It is an energy that starts inside of us and resonates with others. The concept of resonance in our lives is important because it strengthens our relationships with the world around us. Humans are social creatures and resonance strengthens our connections.
Compassion is another positive emotional energy. Compassion allows us to acknowledge others and offer assistance. Compassion gets us out of our head and into a service mode. Societies that lack compassion are cold and dark. Their energy is low as is their spirit. Compassion is a fundamental energy to be manifested for a strong society. It is where forgiveness starts to overcome hate. Forgiveness releases the negative energy we have retained in the form of hate, anger, desire, revenge, etc. These energies are all poison that eventually hollow the hearts of humanity. My apologies for going dark here, but this is real world stuff that unnecessarily causes millions pain and suffering. These unknowing souls are living a life devoid of energy because they have not been taught how energy works and that all things are energy.
Positive Resonance
Positive resonance is an important aspect if we desire to live a life filled with joy and possibility. All growth is a result of positive resonance. Positive energy is the fertile soil and positive people are the water that will absolutely fuel growth.
Remember the story of the goose that lays the golden egg? Day after day, the goose laid the golden egg until the farmer became greedy and killed the goose to get to the gold inside. To his horror, only goose guts were on the inside. He had no more goose and only the debts he had rung up during his streak of good future. For humans, the golden egg is positive energy. It is able to propel us forward when times get tough. Positive energy can help us maintain hope during dark times. The goal is to increase our positive and emotional energy in the following steps:
Get around the right people. I am talking about people that leave you feeling better about the world we live in. People that build you and others up. These people refuse to use negativity as a tool to validate their own shortcomings by bringing others down.
Turn off the news. Are you better off knowing what is going on in Syria? Or Russia? Or Antarctica? Of course not. If you can’t affect it, then you probably are not going to benefit from knowing it. The news is a business designed to suck you in with negativity. It will eat you from the inside out and leave you in an emotional desert needing more news to justify your plight.
Invest in helping others. We thrive in service. I have stated many times that gratitude is selfish because it feels incredibly good to help others have a better day or life. Helping others is an incredibly rewarding activity that benefits all involved and is the optimum fuel for higher and higher levels of positivity in our lives.
Imagine a world devoid of negativity. This would be a world in which we all look for what is right with the world versus what is wrong with the world. This is a world in which our first words are “thank goodness for the rain” versus “damn the rain”. This is a naïve vision in a society obsessed with what others are doing thanks to our institutional programming. The change to a more positive culture begins with awareness and a shift in mindset. Awareness and acceptance of reality is key to a shift to a more positive perspective.
