Energy Message

The Person in the Mirror

Hi,

Here's one hot off the press that I think you will really enjoy.  I was shutting down for the day on Friday and a guy called me from the New England area.  He had gotten my name from one of my clients and needed a little coaching on a special problem he was experiencing.  He works for a company that is high stress and, according to him, is not completely satisfied with his performance.  Actually, he's not quite satisfied either.  Anyway, he gets a call from a friend that another company is looking for a person with his qualification.  So he contacts the company.  To make a long story short, his present company finds out and confronts him with the fact that he's looking for another job.  He tells them the truth about how this came about and thought that would be all there was to it.  But, no - it's not all there is to it.  The hiring company calls him for an interview.

So, here's the question he had for me - "Do I tell them I'm going for the interview or not?  It was a great question that he actually already had the answer to.  Yes, you do tell them.  It's always better, and I might add ethical, to tell the truth.  In this situation we came up with several good things that will come out of the truth.  First, the guy will feel better about himself for being honest (he will also be more energized - it takes a lot of energy to be dishonest).  Second, if the present employer would fire him for wanting to better himself he might be working for the wrong company.  Third, his action will let his present boss know they can trust him (no secrets).  Fourth, and most important, this will reinforce this man's commitment to be truthful, even if it costs in the long run.

I congratulate him for his character.

Dr. Bob

    

What is Energy?

I had an insightful email in response to yesterday's survey.  The lady who sent the email is one of the best marketing people I have every known, very bright and energetic.  She suggested it might be helpful to better define energy and especially what I mean when I talk about energy.  It sounded like a good idea, so here goes!

Energy is the fuel that drives our mental, emotional, and physical being.  Like the gasoline in our cars energy provides the fuel for our thinking, feeling, and behaving.  We can't see it, but in many cases we can feel when we are low on energy.  If you have ever felt fatigued, exhausted, or burned out you understand the feeling of low energy.  We experience these when energy has been used ineffectively.  For example, spending time worrying or any type of negative thought pattern will eventually drain your energy supply and cause stress.  This is only the tip of iceberg for comprehending all there is to know about our resource of energy.

If you would like to understand more about my approach to energy I suggest you check out the link below.  I'm discussing it with Mike Jay during an interview on his Leadership University series.

http://www.1executivecoachingclub.com/rausch/    

Enjoy,

Dr. Bob

   

Tips to Keep Energy High

Persistence without Resistance is Repetition

Problems do have there benefits.  I think some people would argue this point.  It's hard enough maintaining energy each day, but when difficulty or adversity hits it's really tough.  I content it's not the adversity that gets us, it's the way we react to adversity.  Some people fret and worry, while others just let it go.  The majority of us do a combination of both.  We worry and fret until we realize that won't help us, then we let it go.

Here's a energized way to look at adversity - "This is something that is going to make me a stronger person."  We all must have resistance to make us grow.  I like the saying, "If you always do what you have always done, you always get what you always got."  Problems, difficulties, and adversity push us out of our comfort zone and cause us to grow.   Real learning and growth comes when you see the troubles as the mechanism for growth. 

Best to you,

Dr. Bob 

Don't Waste Energy on the Pots and Pans of Life!

The pots and pans life are those insignificant things that happen to us everyday.  Those things that we spend energy on being frustrated or worrying about that are not important.  One of my High School teachers tried to get me to understand this principle when he overheard me complaining to my friends about how much work we had to do.  He said, "Rausch, get off the stage!  All your complaining is not going to change what you have to do AND no one wants to hear it anyway."  He was exactly right.  We need to spend our energy on the important things in life, not the unimportant. 

When you have the job to do, stop bellyaching about it.  If the flight is late or cancelled get a magazine or book to read.  When you get stopped by a traffic light take the time to breath.  These and dozens of other things waste our energy when we allow ourselves to get upset about them. 

I like what Josh Billings said, "Life can be a grindstone, and whether it grinds a man down or polishes him up depends on the stuff he's made of."   Keep your energy for those things that make the real difference in your life.

Best to you all,

Dr. Bob