Essence of energy

My amazing wife Heather works in the "energy" business, but not in the way you think.  She focuses on personal energy and helps people shift into a healthier state of being.  She uses a variety of professional tools to help clients, from reiki to craniosacral therapy, and even something called SRT (Spiritual Response Therapy).  Maybe because I'm around her and her work every day, I've become very aware of energy, particularly my own.

I need good energy to do what I do.  It's absolutely essential to my process of creating art and responding to my creative impulses and what's going on in the world.  My energy absolutely needs to be in a good place.  When it is not, I find ways of shifting things to get me there.

Here are some of the things that work for me.

KINDNESS

When the energy is off, it is so easy to succumb to it.  One of the results can be that I'm more stressed and snappy with people.  A mindful act or word of kindness can be very effective in beginning an energy shift.  It's amazing what shining a positive light on others can do for my own state of being.

STOP AND BREATHE

It is so easy to get swept away by life's pressures, responsibilities and activities.  One of the most effective things for me to do is to stop and sit and breathe.  My favourite spot is an adirondack-like chair that I built a number of years ago that sits in the shade on the deck.   As I sit in silence, God's creatures appear: a bird, a squirrel, a bug.  Their presence soothes my soul and helps my energy return to a good place.

THE SLOW WALK

Heather and I do two kinds of walks.  One is purposeful, which requires putting on walking shoes and socks.  The other only requires flip flops.  These slow, meditative, connective strolls allow us to sort out our respective energies.

PERSISTANCE

Sometimes, shifting energy requires muscling through things.  The big stuff that happens in our lives can knock us off our balance for days and weeks.  Things like conflict, illness, and loss can all do a number on our internal energy.  Consciously moving forward through these periods of discombobulation is really important.  If you stop and wait for things to pass, you could be waiting a long time.  Step forward every day.  Even if it's a single step, it will make a difference.

ACCEPT THE ENERGY OF OTHERS

I am blessed by so many people that support what I do with positive comments on social media.  I am blessed by so many that I get to meet in person.  Several pop to mind from various things that happened this week:  Simon, Hailey, Emma, Audrey, and Earle.

Earle dropped by the studio to pick up a canvas print of my dragonfly painting.  He shared a very personal story of what dragonflies mean to him and referenced a beautiful story that someone shared with him after the death of his son about 10 years ago.  I went searching for it this morning.  I'll share it here:

THE DRAGONFLY STORY
by Doris Stickney

Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in awhile one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.

dragonfly 2"Look!" said one of the water bugs to another. "one of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think she is going?" Up, up, up it slowly went....Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return...

"That's funny!" said one water bug to another. "Wasn't she happy here?" asked a second... "Where do you suppose she went?" wondered a third.

No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together. "I have an idea". "The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why."

"We promise", they said solemnly.

One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up, he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broke through the surface of the water and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above.

When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A startling change had come to his old body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings...The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. He had become a dragonfly!!

Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs! There they were scurrying around, just as he had been doing some time before.

The dragonfly remembered the promise: "the next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why." Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water...

"I can't return!" he said in dismay. "At least, I tried. But I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what has happened to me, and where I went."

Meanwhile, if you need some help with the energy inside of you, you may want to consider a visit with Heather. You can reach out to her via her website or Facebook page.