The Energy Frame: MIND

The "I can do it" attitude is everything in life. Your accomplishments multiply a thousandfold when you infuse them with a sincere belief in a positive outcome, and steep them in energy, excitement, and enthusiasm.

We all want that kind of energy. It comes naturally to some people; most of us have to work at it. Each of us is a unique instrument. We have different backgrounds, different experiences, different metabolisms, and different ways of working. There is no one way to get more energy. You have to constantly test yourself to discover what works best for you. However, one sure way to get more energy is to throw yourself off balance every once in a while. Make a change. Any kind of change will throw you off balance for a time. But it's in that space, that area of limbo when you're out of your comfort zone and you're not quite sure where you'll end up, that you learn the most. It's in that space between where they are now and where they want to be that most people give up. That's when they give up on their diet, stop going to the gym, give up on that project, let go of their dreams. It just takes too much energy.

Understand that you have to go past the energy drain to get to the energy gain. If you want to make changes in your life, you have to make changes in your life. Realize that it takes time, that energy is created slowly and builds. And remember the words of author Germaine Greer: "Energy is the power that drives every human being. It is not lost by exertion but maintained by it."

The Mind Frame

Here are some ways to increase your mental energy:

• Read everything that interests you. You never know when something you have read will inspire you. Inventor Stanley Mason says he reads every book, magazine, and journal he can find. He believes that he's storing all this information in his mind, and that "it comes back to him" when he needs it most. He gets energy from learning new things every day.

• Engage your senses. Take a walk in the woods and observe the environment. Listen to the variety of sounds from the birds and animals, from the wind rustling through the leaves, from your footsteps breaking new ground. Notice what happens to your body when your energy is directed toward a particular sense, and what happens when you concentrate all the senses at once.

• Capitalize on your personal energy schedule. Some people have more energy in the morning; others have a difficult time getting started, but are raring to go at night. If you're an evening person, use the morning to organize and focus yourself; whenever possible make appointments for later in the day. Do the opposite if you're a morning person. See what you can do to change your daily routine so that the times you need to be most productive coincide with your peak energy hours. You'll be amazed at how much more you can get done.

Many ordinary people have harnessed the power of a positive mental attitude to help them achieve extraordinary success. They exhibit an enthusiasm for life that buoys their spirit, gives them energy, and carries them beyond any skill or talent they may have.

The Greeks have given us one of the most beautiful words in our language, the word enthusiasm—a god within. The grandeur of the acts of men are measured from the inspiration from which they spring. Happy is he who bears a god within.

—Muriel James and John James,
Passion for Life