Positive Energy

Last night I went to see Carlos Santana. If you’re unfamiliar with Carlos, he is one of the finest guitarists on the planet. He surrounds himself with an amazing array of ever-changing musicians, who seamlessly resonate with his energy. As incredible as the music is, it’s the positive energy that truly makes the experience. He tunes the entire audience to his wavelength and takes them for a ride.

Moments of enlightenment

We all have those moments in life that are truly euphoric: Watching your children take their first steps; Riding the rollercoaster as it descends from its highest point; The feeling you get when you are in the presence of someone with incredible energy.

Do you feel as though you have enough of these moments in your life? Wouldn’t it be great to feel that way more often and for longer periods of time? How can you do it?

Spend more time with people that you enjoy. Surround yourself with people who add something positive to your life and make you feel good about yourself.
Do activities that bring you to a high energetic state. For me, it’s skiing and biking. Decide what it is for you and do it as often as possible.
Take time each day to disconnect from the rat race we call life: ten minutes sitting quietly and observing your breath, or taking in the beauty of the trees as you walk your dog through the woods.

Magnification effect

When large numbers of people come together to experience a wonderful energetic state it can become exhilarating. Think of the energy you feel when your team wins a big game. It can be magnified when the experience is shared with large groups of people. If you’ve done a yoga class, you know the feeling you get during savasana, the relaxation at the end. That feeling of relaxation often becomes more pronounced when it’s shared with a group. I had that experience last night as thousands of people took part in the concert experience.

Fine tuning your energy

When you become tuned into of your energetic state, you begin to notice when your energy is off center. It’s much easier to make small course corrections than it is to make drastic ones after you’ve gone farther down the path. If you notice yourself being short with your spouse, or overreacting to something your child did, those are signs that you are off center. Acknowledge it, take a couple of deep breaths, and adjust your energy to a more preferable mindset. The longer you wait to make the correction, the more things fester and build.

Challenges to raising your energy

Feelings of love, exhilaration and positivity raise our energy. Complaints, fear, and negativity lower it. Being bombarded all day long with negative people, events, and news alerts lower our energy levels. Put thought into the stimulus you are taking in. Expose yourself to that which raises your energy. As you catch yourself being taken down a negative path, notice it, then make a course correction.

A ship on the ocean must navigate currents to stay on course. The captain doesn’t simply accept the outcome created by the current. Instead, he gains an understanding of its influence, then navigates his vessel accordingly. As humans, our ocean is energy. We need to understand its influences and navigate accordingly. Our exposure to positive energy correlates directly to our happiness. You have the power to choose the energy that surrounds you. Choose wisely.