2.2006 Studio News
Good Energy
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Contents
1. February
Studio
2. Cultivating
High Energy
3. February
Links
4. Wrap-Up
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February Studio
After updating you on the progress of relocating to St. John, VI
in the months before this, I can now tell you that I’m writing this newsletter
from my desk here on the island! Monday, February 9, marks one month of living
here. It’s been surreal, exciting, and a little nuts settling in—but amazing
what a month can do. I went from working part-time and dabbling around to
working both a full-time and a part-time job, 6 days a week. Talk about moving
to “island time”! I love both of my jobs, though. Full-time, I work as an
assistant for an investment company—but am free to do design/illustration at
the same time, as long as I am able to answer phones and be there. My part-time
job is what I’m really excited about: I’m working as both a web designer and
video editor/production assistant to Steve Simonsen, a photographer/filmmaker.
(His stock photo website is http://www.stevesimonsen.com; I’m working on
the new stock video one.) Last week I helped shoot a music video and also
assisted with a mock-wedding photo shoot at a resort. I wasn’t expecting to
fall into video production—but so far, I love it! It’s a whole new avenue to
explore offering many new creative opportunities. And that’s what I want my
life to be about.
As for my usual snippets on football…as of now, the Superbowl is
just days away. Football mania is harder to find on the island, but there’s
enough tourists and “mainlanders” around to still get excited. Go Seahawks!!
(Pittsburgh is just way too close to Washington for me to ever utter a cheer
for the Steelers.)
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Cultivating High-Energy
Emotional Energy
The single
biggest difference between people who get what they want and people who don't
is energy. Many of us can easily think others we know who always seem upbeat, lively
and positive—or you may be one of those people yourself. Does that kind of life
energy come from sleeping 12 hours a day or running marathons? No. The most
powerful energy sources are in your soul, not your body. Learning how to create
more joy and meaning in your life is key to generating a life of energy.
There's an
energy crisis in America, and it has nothing to do with fossil fuels. Millions
of us get up each morning already weary over what the day holds. "I just
can't get started," people say. Or, "I feel drained just thinking
about the long hours ahead." But it's not physical energy that most of us
lack. Sure, we could probably use extra sleep and a better diet. But in truth,
people are healthier today than at any time in history. I can almost guarantee
that if you long for more energy, the problem is not with your body.
You're not
seeking the adrenaline-filled, bounce-off-the-walls kind of energy. You’re
seeking emotional energy. It's an aliveness of the mind and spirit that
connects you to the vitality and fun of life. Yet, sometimes it seems we
exhaust our supply. We work too hard. We have family obligations. We encounter
emergencies and personal crises. No wonder so many of us suffer from emotional
fatigue, an utter exhaustion of the spirit, a sense of just “going through the
motions.”
And yet we all
know people who are filled with vitality and joy, despite the sometimes grim
external circumstances of their lives. Many of us have observed people who were
dirt-poor or disabled or whose physical energy had been sapped by disease, but
who nonetheless faced life with optimism and vigor. The best news? Unlike
physical energy, which is finite and diminishes with age, emotional energy is
unlimited and has nothing to do with genes or upbringing. So how can you get
it? You can't simply tell yourself to be positive—it takes action. Here are
seven practical strategies to explore.
1. Do something
genuinely new.
Without some effort (or an unfortunate
crisis), there’s very little of anything new in our lives. The impact of
sameness on our emotional energy is gradual, but huge: It's like opening a can
of soda. You don't notice it at first, but eventually all the bubbles fizz out
and it'll go flat. It's up to you to stop your life from going flat—even though
there are a dozen reasons to stay stuck in your rut.
Here's a challenge:
If it's something you wouldn't ordinarily do, do it. Try a cuisine you've never
eaten. Drive home via a different, scenic route. Listen to music you'd
ordinarily tune out. You'll discover that even small efforts like these can
offer a new perspective, appreciation, or idea.
2. Reclaim
life's meaning.
Sometimes when
you look at your daily routine, what you’re doing, you think back to when you
started doing what you do. You may remember that it seemed exciting at first,
but somewhere along the line things went stale. You’re still doing the same
thing, but the fun and urgency are missing.
The first step
in solving this meaning shortage is to figure out what you really care about,
then do something about it. If you’re not involved in what you really care
about, figure out how to be. Whether its volunteering time, taking a class,
starting a work-out routine, or ordering some books on an unexplored topic,
it’s a sure way to start getting excited again.
3. Put yourself
in the fun zone.
Many grown-ups
are seriously fun-deprived. High-energy people have the same day-to-day grinds
as the rest of us, but they manage to find something enjoyable in every
situation.
We all define
fun differently, of course, but if you lighten up and inject just a bit of
creativity and imagination into your day, your energy will zoom. Remember when
you were a kid, you imagined that a walk in the woods was an adventure in an
enchanted forest, escaping from a horrid witch, looking to run into a gorgeous
prince? Ok, maybe that was just me. Remember when Barbies weren’t just dolls,
they had these whole lives and relationships among them? Or when toy cars were
really racers, trying to get through an obstacle course? So it’s just some
plastic. But it could be an afternoon of fun.
4. Bid farewell
to guilt and regret.
Everyone's past
is filled with regrets, mistakes, and missed opportunities that still cause
pain. These feelings are an index of our humanity, evidence that we have a
heart and a conscience. But from an emotional energy point of view, they are
deadweights. Remember that everyone has negative experiences; it’s how we can
distinguish positive ones.
5. Keep your
wheel spinning.
People always
talk about finding a passion, an interest they connect with, no matter how
eccentric. If you don't have a passion, go looking for one. Anything fun and absorbing
will do, from bike riding to gardening. Anticipating the activity can get you
up in the morning and get you through an otherwise blah day.
6. Make up your
mind.
Say you've been
thinking about cutting your hair short. Will it look stylish -- or too extreme?
You endlessly mull it over, debate the matter with friends. Having the decision
hanging over your head is a huge energy drain. High-energy people make a choice
and don't look back. Every time you can't decide, you burden yourself with
alternatives. How to break the impasse? Quit thinking that you have to make the
right decision; instead, make a good-enough decision. Any decision. End your
ambivalence.
7. Give to get.
Emotional energy
has a kind of magical quality: The more you give, the more you get back. This
underscores the fundamental difference between emotional energy and physical
energy. With the latter, you have to get it to be able to give it. With
emotional energy, however, you get it by giving it.
But you have to
make the move. Start by asking everyone you meet, "How are you?" as
if you really want to know, then listen to the reply. Be the one who hears.
Most of us also need to smile more often. If you don't smile at the person you
love first thing in the morning, you're sucking energy out of your
relationship. Finally, help another person -- and make the help real, concrete.
Give a massage to someone you love, run an errand for him, or cook her dinner.
Then, expand the circle to work. Try going through an entire day asking
yourself what you'd do if your goal were to be helpful rather than efficient.
After all, if
it's true that what goes around comes around, why not make sure that what's
going around you is the good stuff?
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February
Links
My choices for this month, while not exactly design resources,
offer sources for learning and generating some creative
energy:
This well-known publication has a website full of articles and exploration beyond the magazine or broadcasting channel:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com
From the writers of Outside magazine, this is
a list of 50 things to do before you die:
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Wrap-Up
Spend the month making yourself proud. Drop a line,too, if you’d
like!
If you have any comments, suggestions for future newsletters,
questions, tips, etc., please feel free to e-mail: art@asolaredesign.com
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For further information about my design or illustration studio
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