Choose Where Your Energy Goes
Who else can totally sense energy in people? 👋 I thrive off of the energy of those around me! Unless that person is giving off bad vibes + then my mood is totally shot. 😅 That always made working in customer service when I was growing up super interesting. 😂
Have you ever heard the quote "my attitude is based on the way you treat me"? Yeah, that's who I am to the very core. I've always tried to fight it, though. For some reason I thought I should have more control over my mood, but then I realized I was simply surrounding myself with the wrong type of energy. Knowing this about myself has given me so much clarity ... it makes me work that much harder to make sure I'm being a fountain pouring out positive vibes, rather than a drain that sucks all of the energy out of someone.
If there’s one thing I’ve figured out, it’s that our days are made up of a bunch of little choices. Once you make a decision that leads to a negative feeling, it has the power to totally throw off your entire day. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the time (or energy 😉) to dedicate to any sort of negativity in my life. Who’s with me? ✌️
It’s so important to be aware of the energy you bring into a space, but it’s even more important to choose where that energy goes! Keep on scrolling to read about a few practices that you can work into your daily life that will have you radiating positivity!
think before you speak
This one is something I have to remind myself of on an hourly basis. 😅 I tend to say exactly what's on my mind without actually thinking it through first. Which most of the time is ok, but it can also be a way that you're unintentionally spreading negativity.
When you stop to think before you speak you give yourself the opportunity to run through these questions ... Is it positive, uplifting, honest, or kind? Does this serve anyone well? What is my intention behind what I'm about to say?
Trust me, once you start putting this into practice, you'll see the results immediately! The people around you will start to feel more understood, you become a better listener, and you have the opportunity to phrase everything you say with love.
Focus on community over competition
Community trumps competition every single time! There's more than enough success and good stuff in this world to go around.
When you spin this around and focus on the competition aspect, you're opening yourself up to some major negative energy. You're welcoming the thoughts of comparison, envy, and the fear that you're not enough. I mean, let's be honest, who the heck WANTS to feel those things!?
Please trust me when I say that lifting someone up does so much more for your heart than tearing them down, and being able to celebrate alongside someone when they have a big win is such a GIFT! Embrace the truth that someone else's success doesn't take away from your own, and it'll help you serve and love your community so much better!
End each day with gratefulness
This is a practice I'm actually just starting myself! There is always something to be grateful for. Your family, the roof over your head, the food in your fridge, the gas in your car ... showing gratitude everyday for the simplest of things can really shift your perspective.
I challenge you to start doing this every night before you go to sleep. Whether it's writing a list in your journal, saying it out loud to your husband, texting a friend, or posting it on social media ... I know this practice can open your heart, and will allow you to end each day on a positive note.
say what you feel
Bottling up your feelings of any kind, or biting your tongue when you have something important to say, doesn't serve anyone. Those feelings and words just keep bubbling up in your gut until it eventually all comes spilling out in an emotionally charged storm of words. Who else can relate!?
Whether it's telling someone you love them, or telling someone they hurt you, both are equally important to say out loud. When you start communicating freely, you become more confident in what you're feeling. You stop questioning yourself, and you can build your relationships that much deeper.
I'm definitely not one to hold my feelings inside thanks to the incredible example set forth by my momma, but I've seen enough of the regret and resentment that can follow due to a simple lack of communication. Your feelings are valid, you matter, and you deserve to speak your truth and to be heard.
extend grace
Have you ever had a really bad day, and before you know it you're taking it out on everyone around you? Of course you have! Because we've all done it. One bad thing after another happens, and BOOM. There you are ... left with no patience, getting way too upset about something that probably doesn't even matter, and a few hours later you're kicking yourself for kind of being a jerk.
That's where this awesome thing called grace comes in. Extend grace to yourself when you don't get through your to-do list, when you've had a bad day, when you make a mistake ... But don't forget to extend grace to those around you, too. Just like you, everyone has bad days, we all make mistakes, and we're all just doing the best we can.
When you start extending grace to everyone you come in contact with I guarantee the little annoyances of your day to day will start to fade. You'll notice that the person in front of you taking forever in the drive-thru line isn't trying to make you late, they just can't get their kids to settle down in the back seat so they can safely drive away. You'll notice that the friend who hasn't responded to your message isn't trying to ignore you, they're just overwhelmed by a list of a million things to do. You'll notice people at face value, and you'll be open to channel that once negative energy into something really beautiful.
So, there you have it, friends. A handful of ways that you can intentionally choose where your energy is going. Do you have anything to add to this list? How do you check in with yourself to make sure you're being a light in the world? Share it with me below in the comments section! ✌️