Feeling “out of gas”?

A fellow blogger  Davina reminded me of an old story about a race between a motor boat and a sailboat and who will win.   The sail boat wins every time – if the race is long enough, right?

Any Fuel Source from Outside of me will at some point Disappoint, Run Out, or Feel  Empty.

Made me think,  (Thanks, Davina) – What do I energize with?

• Do I need Approval from others- to provide my energy?
• Do I get my energy by taking other’s?  By putting them down, showing dis-approval,  winning arguments, or “giving them” low-self-esteem so that I can have “high-self-esteem” I merely become an energy vampire and suck theirs to supply me with false strength!
• Do I use the  dis-likes and Drama of others to energize MY day and how I feel? 
• Like a motor’s heated, working piston do I Push Against something to drive myself forward?

        -OR –

• Does my greatest Energy come from that which is easiest, and Universal and given to all freely?
• Do I allow Sleep to help me sail thru refreshed and invigorated and focused?
• Do I allow the invisible  winds of Emptiness to fill my sails thru meditation?
• Do I allow the Inspiration of Awe and Gratitude to fuel me?
• Do I see myself AS the sail, and KNOW that the Universe has my back!!

If you’re feeling out of gas, check your fuel source.

If the tank says Empty, what will you fill it up with?

 

Positivity, by Barbara Fredrickson

One word summary for the book- Threshold. 

Positivity introduces the idea of a threshold that occurs when you have at least 3 Positive Emotions for each negative emotion.

The concept reminds me of when you hit that pivotal point of boiling water- that one degree that takes it from 211 degrees to 212 degrees – boiling or not boiling. A transformation from a liquid to a gas, just due to one small extra push.

Barbara shows us how to reach that 3:1 threshold in easy to understand, and to use, ideas.  An excellent book that looks at 10 types of Positivity, your own Test for Positivity, the Upward Spiral that creates even more Positivity for you, tips on how to adjust your thinking in a day to day scenario, challenges you may face, and overall just a great reminder of where we all should, and could be.  This is a hands on, HOW TO book- Thanks Barbara.

Positivity shares a generous number of research experiments, without boring you with the blah-blah-blah of lab data, that validates the following incredible benefits of feeling positive;

• it increases verbal, and faster creativity,
• it increases one’s peripheral vision,
• increases accuracy in decision making,
• creates better business deals,
• allows more solutions to be seen in the face of adversity,
• it builds more trusting relationships,
• it helps folks see more overlap between themselves and their best friends,
• decreases racial bias,
• inspires more offers of help to strangers,
• expands the conceptual connections people made,
• it “opens you up” in comparison to negativity drawing you inward,
• it is your birthright!,
• and most importantly –  it feels good!

What else needs to be said, except WHY WOULDN’T you want to follow her advice to feel more Positive?

Give yourself, your life and those around you a great big smile. Gather any uptight, ugly and un-happy caterpillars you know, share this book with them, and watch them soon fly out as butterflies.