ENERGY: THE MOST VALUABLE CURRENCY

Energy, it is the most readily-available, valuable and overused currency. We all have it! If we are not careful, concepts, things, and ideas will take more than we are willing to give of it in a blink of an eye.  Everything needs energy to live, even thoughts and feelings. When we take away the energy those thoughts fizzle out and can die. Hence, the reason many snatch it before you can even offer it up. The downfall to that is that we no longer have the mental capacity to focus energy on things we really want in life and allow room for it to manifest in our world because it's so crowded with everything else. We often see this when employers encourage employees to dedicate excessive time and energy to helping the establishment prosper or employees, athletes, etc, feel the invisible pressure to meet high standards. 

The quickest way to be dejected from a group or to kill something is to quit giving it the type of energy it requires to live, become neutral or disinterested in the cause (silently or verbally). We see it happen with relationships, friendships, communities, networks, businesses, and on the news. We would like to attribute every downfall to money, but the loss of money is often attributed to the loss of energy toward a particular idea, thing, or even person.  As a person who brings a  desirable energy to the table, I often come across people who don't necessarily have a vested interest in me, but want the energy I am willing to give. How many times have you asked that question, 'They don't even like me, why do they keep calling me?' or 'They only call me when they are having trouble or need to vent.'...... it's all about the energy, baby. You'll even even across people that want to hand-off negative energy or defuse your energy. Quit feeding the monster and it will find someone else to feed on. 

While we often think of the highest  energy drainers as people in our lives, sometimes the culprits of us not being able to place our energies in positive and beneficial areas are things we voluntarily participate in: worldly news and politics, religious beliefs and traditions, and thoughts of how unhappy with are with certain things in our lives (where we live, work, our neighbor, etc.). While an individual can instantly drain our energy and be gone, the other things we keep plugged in do no allow other, more beneficial, thought waves to engage us. Yes, even thoughts are energy, so the term 'let it go" really does have value. Also, the term 'simplicity' or 'simple life' holds more meaning in the mental world than in the physical world. Live a simple life by not allowing too many things to take up space in our head, thus robbing us of necessary energy for things we really want in life. It is also equally important to not attach negative thoughts to the things we desire. If we want a particular spouse, house, or job, there is no need to bash the one we already have or lack. We simply should assert the thought that we want a particular thing and detach and dissolve any negative feelings of not not having it. 

Lastly, we will want to know how to maintain our energy. The answer is simple... being aware of what we are giving off by restricting and neutralizing engagement:
1. Awareness: learn to feel when things drain you and begin to disconnect from them (news,t.v., music, complaining)
2. Prioritize your interests and allot your energy to those things (however, do not become hyper-focused).
3. Resist the urge to engage in things that captivate your attention, but don't necessarily align with your goals or bring  you joy.
4. Create Boundaries: Don't isolate, but do choose to not engage with people who bring negative energy, don't reciprocate positive energy, or make you feel guilty. 
5. Neutralize yourself! There is no way to predict what someone will say to us, but we can choose our response and emotion to it. 
6. If there are things you want in life, don't attach a negative spin to it. 

So, the next time we come face-to-face with an opportunity to spend our energy, we should weigh the pros and the cons and see if it is really worth it. Is it worth not having the things we really want in life?  It's your energy, spend it intentionally!

Frankie Reed-Shaw