Who turned out the lights? What happened? How did I ever get here? Everyday, people all throughout the United States ask themselves these very questions. Are you one of them? Because I passionately believe in self-development, I actively seek out opportunities to grow myself and help my clients, not only in business - through an increased leadership vision, clientele and profit line - but in their personal lives, as well. Over the past few years, I’ve witnessed an increase in what I kindly refer to as human power outages – physical, mental, spiritual and emotional meltdowns from choosing to live in a place of unawareness.

Think back to seventh grade science class. Our universe consists of millions of molecules that join together to form the cells in our bodies. Molecules make up the bed we sleep in, the water we use to shower, the clothing we will wear to work, the food we eat and the beverages we drink - even the air we breathe. The electrically charged particles within the molecules themselves rely on electric forces to rearrange the atoms when creating or changing the molecular structure of the object. Simply put, these forces are life’s energy.

When I asked one of my friends, a scientist, to define energy, he described it as work – a force multiplied by distance. We may not be able to see its force but our world is made of energy – itsy bitsy, miniscule molecules that are bouncing around, forming everything we see. As humans, we exert energy to accomplish our daily tasks – planning our day, traveling to appointments, making phone calls, grocery shopping - you get the picture. As individuals, we control the energy that is expended in life and often look for ways to find more or re- energize.

Last month, I wrote about the importance of maintaining balance in your life. Being fully engaged means we need to balance our energy expenditure with energy recovery. When I’m sitting at my desk and feeling depleted, I take a moment to assess why. Do I need to leave my desk and walk up and down the steps 5 – 10 times? Do I need a glass of water or a piece of fruit? Do I need encouraging words from one of my strategic business partners? Do I need to take 15 minutes to work on something unrelated to my current project? Or do I need to stop and say a prayer?

Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz wrote an eye-opening book, entitled “The Power of Full Engagement.” On their website, they outline that “The book introduces a groundbreaking new paradigm based in the understanding that managing energy, not time, is the key to full engagement and maximum productivity. Because human beings are complex energy systems, full engagement requires drawing on four separate but related sources of energy - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual."

Back to one of the foundational principles of Upside Thinking, Inc. – You are ...where you choose to be... We each make decisions that determine where we are today in our businesses and many of these decisions foreshadow the future of our work. This month, I encourage you to think about where you are spending your energy – the best hours of your day. When do you feel the most energized and excited? If you’re drinking one or more Monster drinks per day, have you stopped to assess why?

My grandmother always said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I can’t say I had any idea what that meant at the time. Today, however, I get it and invest in myself by identifying where my energy comes from and what takes it away so I can be the best for my friends, my family and my clients. What do you need to do for yourself right now to determine your level of engagement?

In closing, I encourage you to assess the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels of clarity in your life. After you’ve made your assessment, remember, no man is an island -- we all need someone to keep us on track and hold us accountable which is why I work with a coach. (Every good coach has a coach.) Living fully engaged is choosing to say “yes” to all of the possibilities that life has to offer so Power Up (side), Dream BIG and Create Amazing Successes!

Did you know?

In 2005, CNN/Money reported that a new study of employees worldwide found that only 14 percent are fully engaged on the job and willing to put in extra effort for their companies.

Lightning Facts: One strike has enough energy to light 150,000,000 light bulbs. One storm can discharge enough energy to supply the entire U.S. with electricity for 20 minutes. A moderate thunderstorm generates several hundred megawatts of electrical power.