This week's lesson is all about ENERGY. It's fair to say that every healthy human being is born with a truly amazing level of energy. The point has often been made that no adult, not even the most highly conditioned tri-athlete, could sustain the level of physical activity that a one or two year-old maintains throughout their day.
Can you remember what age or time in your life, you displayed almost unlimited "physical energy"? Most likely, at that same time your mental energy also seemed boundless. You were constantly challenging yourself to learn new things, to try out new ideas, or to take on new obstacles.
Thus, if that kind of exuberant energy is hardwired into us early in our lives, what happens as we get older? Does nature really intend for us to become less capable of exploring and growing as we age? I don't think so. I think that a relatively high degree of energy can remain in place well past our golden years.
But for many of us, it gets short-circuited. The power is still there, but it's blocked. It gets blocked when we start learning phrases like, "What difference does it make?" or, "I don't feel like it," or, "That takes too much effort," or, "I quit." At some point we start saying those things to ourselves in response to frustration or adversity. It's not that we suddenly lack the unlimited energy that we were born with. What occurs is the blockage of the energy current, not a shutting down of the power plant.
Thus, the challenge becomes that we need to make a conscious effort to get that current to flow again. And the first step toward getting that current flowing again is to "Do what you LOVE!"
Unfortunately, the vast majority of people on planet earth do not love their jobs. They dread Monday's and can't wait for Friday's. They complain about their boss and co-workers, their hours, and their wages. If you ask them why they aren't doing what they love, they'll give you a laundry list of reasons. And so they stay put while the pages of the calendar methodically turn. And with each turn of the calendar, their energy level continues to diminish.
If you've never been in this position, then I urge you to AVOID it. If you're in this position now, then start making plans for a CHANGE. Your Creator gave you a UNIQUE set of gifts and talents. No other individual, of the 6 billion plus that inhabit this Earth, can do what you're capable of doing. The only question is, "Will you do it?"
Benjamin Franklin advised, "Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sun-dial in the shade?" In other words, when you hide your talents, it's the equivalent of keeping a sun-dial in the shade. Just as a sun-dial needs to be in the Sun, you need to be expressing your talents and gifts each and every day.
If there's not much money in it, do it anyway. If you're doing what you love, you'll learn to live without a lot of money. You won't care if it's Monday or Friday. Everyday will be the same to you. Every hour will be the same to you. Bosses and co-workers will be easier to deal with; and the distinction between work and play will all but disappear.
Remember that people resist change. They'll stay at a job that they hate rather than bet on themselves. My question to you is "Are you betting on yourself, or are you selling yourself short?" If there's one person that you should bet on, one person that you should place all your chips on, it's yourself!
When you bet on yourself, everybody wins. You'll put your heart into whatever it is you love to do and it will produce something special. Just think of the millions of laughs that would have never occurred had Jerry Seinfeld not become a comedian. What if Jerry stayed at a job that he didn't like? Thankfully, he placed a big bet on himself and here's what he had to say about it, "The fact that I bet on myself and didn't lose is a pretty deep reward."
Everyone deserves a deep reward. But the first part of the equation has to be chosen: Bet on yourself!
Start saying, "I can make a difference." or, "If I want this, nothing can make me quit." Then watch the ENERGY begin FLOWING into your life. Harness the power of energy by living a life of passion and doing the things you love to do. You only get one chance at life. Make the most of it!