the engine started, it just keeps chugging along until it reaches the goal.
What is your most comfortable energy style, and how does it compare with the demands of your daily life? Are you spending most of your time on tasks that use the energy style that is most comfortable to you, or are you forcing yourself to use a different style—and therefore sapping your energy reserves?
Your energy can be frittered away by trying to be someone you are not or by using an energy style that doesn’t fit with “the real you.”
Your mind is the one tool you use no matter what you do. When it is skillfully managed, it can be an endless source of power, creativity and joy. When you let it run wild, it can create unhappiness, stress and disease.
Think of your mind as a spirited horse. With an alert and skillful rider in the saddle, the horse will go wherever you want it to take you. But if you let go of the reins, the horse will run around chaotically, possible pitching you off into a field or gully. Or it might head back to the barn to eat hay. In either case, you are no longer in control of your destination.
As Mark Twain said: “I am an old man with many troubles, most of which never happened.” You see, most of the time the things you worry about never take place. Even when your conscious mind understands that and tells you everything will work out fine, you still worry and spin your wheels. You place stress on your body and become irritable with your friends and family.
Continually judging yourself and other people is another exhausting and self-destructive mental activity that can be a major energy drain. Take a moment to do a quick review of the thoughts you have been entertaining in your mind in the past hour or two. Are they happy, constructive, energy-building thoughts? Or are they negative, fearful, self-critical thoughts?
Whether you are a high-energy or low-energy person, you probably find it stressful and tiring to be around someone who is at the opposite end of the energy spectrum.
If you are a high-energy person, other energy styles may seem sluggish, lazy and maddeningly slow. If you are a low-energy person, on the other hand, you may feel intimidated by individuals who have more horsepower. You think high-energy people are hyperactive, unpleasantly intense and very tiring.
It is also draining to be around people who are quick to criticize, have a fiery temper, or sow negative seeds in the people around them. When you notice your energy is being sapped by another person, try to determine whether you are overreacting or being too judgmental, or whether the person has this effect on other people as well. It may be an opportunity to stretch yourself a little and become more accepting. Or, if the energy drain is significant, you may decide that you just want to steer clear of the person.
You get energy from various sources, including food, sleep, sunlight, exercise, the love and affection of your partners and friends. But the most important source of energy is your breathing.
You can go without food for weeks and without water for a day, but you can live for only a few minutes without breathing. This alone makes breathing the critical power function for you. Your breathing has become so much a part of you that you take it for granted. As long as you are not smothered or suffocated, you pay little attention to your breath.
Most of you breathe shallowly, leaving stale air in your lungs and reducing the flow of oxygen in your blood. By breathing deeply, you can oxygenate your mind and body, nourish vital organs, purify your blood and reduce nervous energy.
Your energy level fluctuates throughout the day and it is somewhat different from one day to the next. Receive a well-deserved compliment from your boss or your sweetheart and you will feel a burst of energy for the rest of the day. Open the mail to find a big unexpected bill and you may feel your energy plummet. But you also have a typical energy level which is pretty consistent from day to day and week to week.
Take a moment to rate your typical energy level during the last few weeks or months on a scale of 1 to 7—with 7 being extremely energetic.
If you are a 1, you are frequently sick, lethargic and depressed. You may even be suicidal. An energy level of 1 can be caused by substance abuse, such as alcohol or drugs. Or perhaps you are recovering from a serious illness, or going through a life crisis, such as a death in the family or a divorce.
Your energy level could also be low because you are juggling too many demands—such as a job, a family and social obligations—or the demands are especially difficult because they are not compatible with your comfort zone.
If you are a 2, you are easily fatigued, unfocused, overwhelmed, inactive, illness prone and have difficulty completing projects.
If you are a 3, you have sufficient energy, easily diverted, do limited exercise, sometimes are ill and have average productivity.
If you are a 4, you have moderate energy, average health, normal fitness activities, productive with diversions and a sense of well-being.
If you are a 5, you have plenty of energy, strong, healthy, rarely exhausted, enjoyer of exercise, productive all day long, and resilient.
If you are a 6, you have endless energy, competent to handle myriad projects at once, hard driver, in need of lots of stimuli and a frequent exerciser.
If you are a 7, you have extraordinary energy, overpowering, tireless, dynamo, never ill, never still and constantly restless.
Most people fall somewhere in the middle between 1 and 7. If you have moderate energy and would rate yourself about 4 on the energy scale, you usually have sufficient amounts of energy to carry on a productive life. You may get sick occasionally, but not all that frequently. You may get frazzled after a hard day of work, but nothing too extreme. In general, you have a sense of well-being and a feeling that you can handle the tasks at hand.
If you rank yourself in the 1 or 2 category for energy, do something quickly! Otherwise, you may find yourself in danger of a serious illness, accident, or some other unfortunate circumstance. If you don’t resolve your energy drain, consciously, your body and mind will do it for you. It will unconsciously booby-trap your plans and force you to make much-needed changes.
Feeling tired, depressed and barely able to function are all indicators that your deepest needs are not being met in life. It could be that your body is crying out for a better diet, more regular exercise, or increased exposure to natural sunlight. It could be that you are worrying too much, or that your life is not compatible with your true inner self.
So what can you do? Here are some steps to take that can make a big difference.
Observe how, when and where your energy is being sapped.
For example, do you feel your energy level dropping near the “empty” mark when you are at work, interacting with a certain family member or friend, or participating in one of your social activities? Do you need to eat healthier foods, lose some weight, stop smoking or exercise more?
By just watching yourself for a while, without judging yourself or beating yourself up about your behavior or reactions, you can collect a wealth of information about what types of situations are “pushing your buttons.”
What areas of your life are draining your energy? Where can you cut back?
Start taking small, steady steps toward increasing your energy level. Learning to distinguish between important needs and more whimsical “wants” means you can eliminate wasting time and energy. Some simple lifestyle changes—such as improving your diet or taking a walk every
