There was a time when I went to sleep at night totally drained. Because before breakfast I already had to struggle with 3 kids that each wanted to wear short sleeves in the middle of winter, I drove through traffic where everybody needs to get somewhere in the shortest amount of time, I had to deal with nagging colleagues,…. So slowly throughout the day my energy flowed away from me and everything I remembered in the evenings was negative emotions and thoughts... I started noticing that being focused on the negative attracts more negative things and feelings. So I decided that the opposite was certainly also true and I started to pay attention to the small positive things throughout my day.
It’s in that state of mind that on the 17th of January I joined the Fierce ladies Academy about Energy Management & Burnout prevention: « 50 lepeltjes energie per dag: je praktische gids om een burn-out te voor komen en te genezen. » written by Anne Everard.
Anne explained visually that you get up in the morning with a definite amount of spoons full of energy. During the day your activities, thoughts, emotions costs you little spoons of energy. And this is not a problem as long as you’re attentive to regain your energy by doing things what gives you energy throughout the day. At the end she gave us a little red spoon. That little red spoon immediately spoke to my imagination ( I am a very visual person).
I started focusing on what gives me energy during my day…. and guess what, it’s quite a lot. My convertible shoe project Charlz Sway, enjoying the sun and a cup of tea, an amazing view, an exciting book, snow, enjoying a meal, music, interesting podcasts,…. And of course the more I look for those little moments of pleasure, the more I attract positive feelings and emotion.
I feel better and I am more pleasant and agreeable to those around me.
So the best and exciting effect of this change of attitude I see unfolding is in my environment. It’s like a current that takes a lot of people with it…
Our brain doesn’t know the difference between what’s real and what’s imagined. So my advice to all of you would is to use your mind to see things going well instead of wrong.
These are my 3 tips to get started
Start by noticing what makes you feel good. First the obvious things, than the less obvious ones.
Then make them happen throughout your day. That way you can reverse your emotions and they become less affected by other people’s negativity.
Spread your enthusiasm. It’s contagious.
Text & photos by Charlotte Nyssen, Fierce Lady member and Founder of Charlz Sway