I have found a new author Jon Gordon, he has a new book out called "Become an Energy Addict" that I am thinking about getting. Here is something that I found written by him out on the net. Thought it was very thought provoking.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 representing “completely energized” and 1 indicating “It’s a miracle you can get out of bed,” think about what your energy level is right now.
Why aren’t we all exuding boundless energy? Why is our potential energy far greater than our actual energy? Perhaps William James said it best when he said, “Compared to what we ought to be most of us are only half awake. We are only making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources.” Imagine yourself standing at the gas pump of life and you’ll see that during every moment of every day, you have a choice between low grade and high grade fuel.
From the energy of food to the energy of thoughts, you can make choices that energize you or drain you. You can choose energy that allows you to get by and survive or you can choose the power sources that will make you thrive. Einstein said to live a better life, we must keep choosing how we are living. So if we want to live a more energetic life, we must upgrade our energy. We must stop settling for low grade fuel when we deserve only the best and make better energy choices to energize our busy and demanding lives.
Modern science tells us that it’s physiologically impossible to be fearful and thankful at the same time. When you find yourself feeling stressed about work, the kids, bills, house work and the hundreds of things on your to do list, start identifying what you are thankful for. You’ll notice a difference immediately. By being thankful you focus on what is “good” in your life rather than what is “wrong.”
You focus on positive energy instead of negative energy and most importantly you don’t continually fuel and ignite your fear based response system that often leads to fatigue, burnout and depression. Remember, gratitude is like muscle. The more you use it the stronger it gets. The stronger it gets the more energy you will have.
It’s no wonder that there are hundreds of energy bars and energy drinks on the market. Many of us are searching for energy but we’re searching in the wrong places. Instead of fueling our lives with sustained sources of energy, we are relying on quick fixes and short bursts of energy. Adrenaline and caffeine have become the drugs of choice. Sure they give us energy. But like any drug, their affects wear off and we are left feeling tired once again. To re-energize, an adrenaline junkie must drink another cup, swig another energy drink, eat a candy bar or rush around on stress hormones. The need for energy is so great we’ll do anything just to get by long enough to complete our tasks. Adrenaline and caffeine provide the short term fix we need and so begins the addiction, dependence and vicious cycle.
We can make the transition from an Adrenaline Junkie to an Energy Addict. An Energy Addict is addicted to positive and powerful, sustained sources of energy. Instead of rushing around in the morning an Energy Addict engages in meditating and deep breathing techniques. They eat a high protein and high fiber breakfast which provides sustained energy. They exercise for 5-20 minutes to kick-start their metabolism and increase their energy. An Energy Addict eats nuts and fruit as snacks through out the day instead of chips and candy bars. They drink water instead of soda. They eat an energizing lunch instead of the sumo size lunch that makes any normal person want to take a nap. Afterwards. Energy Addicts take a walk after lunch to increase their afternoon energy and they drink green tea (20-25 mg caffeine) in the afternoon instead of coffee (90-120 mg caffeine). An Energy Addict fuels their mind, body and life with the best sources of energy that energizes them in the short term and provides sustained fuel for the long term.
Friends, family, co-workers and people in general can be a source of positive energy or negative energy. Who we surround ourselves with has a big impact on our energy. There are people who energize you and those who drain you. As you upgrade your energy, spend more time with the people who increase your energy and limit your time with Energy Vampires who zap your energy. They don’t bring energy to the relationship. Rather, they suck it out of you and leave you feeling empty. While you are reading this, I am sure several of your Energy Vampires have come to mind. You know who they are. Where possible, try to transform an Energy Vampire into an Energy Addict. Show this person how they are being negative and draining. Help them become more positive. If this person is unwilling to change, then you must limit your time with them. Your energy is that important!
