What will you bring?

My family will gather at my sister’s house for Thanksgiving this year.  I’ll bring the salad, an appetizer, lefse (I’m a good Norwegian) and wine.  In years past, I’ve been known to also throw in some overwhelm, irritation and resistance as well.

How often do you bring energy to an event that actually detracts from the experience?

It is so easy to focus on the “content” of the experience, and to ignore what else we choose to bring.At a concert this past weekend, I experienced someone who focused on his energy as fully as his art.  David Wilcox brought his guitar and his music as expected, but threw in lots of curiosity, joy and wonder throughout his performance.  His lyrics challenged us to courageously listen to each other; his presence encouraged us to take ourselves less seriously.

The experience was surprising and deeply refreshing.

How we do something is always as important as what we do.   Our energetic habits, like all habits, take some time and awareness to shift.

My suggestion?  Use this Thanksgiving holiday (or any other event of your choosing) as an opportunity to build your “energy awareness” and to put some intention into how you show up.

Take five minutes right now to ask yourself these questions:

Write down words that describe your “energy intention” on a sticky note, and read it many times ahead of the event.  Notice during and after the event how shifting your own energy impacted your experience.

I’d love to hear about your energy shifts!