This whole concept of “energy” seems to have been following me around for awhile.
1) First I heard it from Dog Whisperer Ceasar Milan… suuure, I just change my energy by thinking calmly and assertively and dogs will behave and follow me around and clean up their own poop. I mean, how can you trust such a well-manicured man? I believe that he uses his unnaturally white teeth to hypnotize people and their dogs.
2) Then I came across Jill Bolte-Taylor’s incredible Ted speech. Jill is a neuroscientist who suffered a stroke in her early thirties, and she tells the amazing story of experiencing her body and mind shut down from the inside during her stroke. After the stroke, she could no longer understand speech, but she could understand energy. Positive energy in those around her helped her heal; negative energy drained her. At our most basic level – once you strip away your internal dialogue, language, memory of your life story – you are simply an animal who responds to the energy around you.
3) Finally, the physician father of one of my coworkers (and good friend) came to our office to speak about managing stress through Heart Math. He talked about the physical and chemical reactions your body has to stress, and how shifting your energy into a positive area will improve your health and lead to a virtuous cycle – the more positive you are, the more your body makes the chemicals that make you feel happy, etc.
I remember that in high school I was disgusted by and admittedly jealous of those people who seemed eternally, unapologetically happy all the time. The cheerleaders of life, they walked the halls with a bright smile on their face and were easily excited by the smallest of good fortune. I wondered what would happen if I smiled more, even when I didn’t feel like it. What would happen if I celebrated small victories with more than my natural sarcastic and oh-so-hip indifference?
So I tried it. I walked around with a smile on my face. I giggled with joy when a boy looked at me in the hall. I did a dance in my head at every Aced test (and don’t fool yourself, there were quite a few). I felt silly at first, but then I noticed that it got easier and easier. I smiled in the morning and then I felt like smiling all day. You can fake your way into a true good mood.
In the words of Dr. McKinley, “Instead of letting something aggravate you, find something about it to appreciate.” Your boss is going to keep coming to your desk and demanding unreasonable deadlines from you. Instead of tensing your jaw and your butt cheeks every time she approaches, appreciate the fact that at least she waited until after lunch to ruin your day. Appreciate that she got dressed today. Appreciate that she hasn’t fired you. Instead of grumbling at the rain on your way to work, take a moment to look up and appreciate the mysterious beauty of the lightning show that’s playing out thousands of feet above you.
Change your energy any way you can, even if you have to fake it at first. See if you don’t feel happier in spite of your cynical and oh-so-hip self.
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