Energy Part 2: Bring the Energy...But Positive Energy Only... Respectfully

When I think of energy I typically think about it in terms of how much I don’t have or how much energy it is going to take to do something. A lot of times I make decisions about what I am going to do and not going to do based on how much energy I feel like I have in my tank. In all of these cases I think about how much is going to be taken. That is definitely one perspective. Enter my business partner. In a meeting at The Joseph Hotel one day she mentioned that we might go into business together. My initial thought was “Another buuuuuisinessssss” (in my Soldier Boy voice.) Who has time for that?????

I think I am starting to think of my life before starting the second business and then life after

starting the second business with my business partner. I entered into the idea thinking about how running two businesses, even though I am not running the second one solo, would be the death of me. Running Smith Behavioral Health and Wellness has been my greatest joy and pain and while I wouldn’t trade it for the world, it does require a lot on a daily basis. Seeing clients, helping them carry their stories and their figure out what to do with their trauma requires a lot of energy while also running the business. Now I was thinking about running a second business with a business partner??? With whose energy??? At another meeting with Ashley, my business partner, we started to discuss what we would like the business to look like. I kept thinking whatever we do it's going to be work and I just don’t know. I gotta give it to Ashley, she is one of the most positive people I have met. She reframed it for me. She said "But Jess! We both love all things wellness. What if what we did was something that gives us energy instead of takes it?" How profound! My view of starting something looked like something that would be draining, tiring, and so much work. But she was talking about it from the perspective of fun, energy, and life. If I am honest I think it shook me a bit. At that moment I realized that my work wasn’t giving me life or energy and I wasn’t considering it as fun. So what am I really doing? I sat with that for a few days. I thought about how I am not living my best life when it comes to business and I thought about what needs to change in order to make this a sustainable and enjoyable experience. I agreed to go into business with Ashley. We created S&S Holistic Wellness. I am still running my personal business too. I can confidently and honestly say I am living my best life in business now and I love it. All it took was realizing that I didn’t have to keep doing what I was doing. I have the ability to change things up. I have the ability to have fun. I have to ability to engage in work that gives me energy.

Food for Thought

“Focus on what gives you energy and the things that take your energy will fall away.” ~Jessica Smith~

Energy. It can be given and it can be taken away. We can let it be taken from us or we can seek out ways to gain it. We think of things like rest, exercise, and food to give us energy physically. But what about the things that give us energy mentally and emotionally? My goodness, the energy I get when I sit with a good friend to catch up, or when I leave an exciting business meeting, or when I take my niece out for a lunch date to get burgers are the most amazing energy givers to name a few. If we can focus on maximizing the things that give us energy we are happier, we aren’t as drained, and we can get so much more accomplished happily. It's also good to know what gives you energy so you can tap into those things when challenges arise and we need some extra energy. Earlier this month when a dear friend of mine was in the ICU battling for his life after being diagnosed with Covid-19, it was my close friends and family that gave me energy. It was meetings with my business partner planning events that gave me energy when I felt tired or discouraged. I’m thankful for those people in my life.

Reflect and Select

“So maybe ask yourself what gives you energy? Who gives you energy? Maybe another important question to ask is what is taking your energy? Who takes your energy? What can be done about it?

A lot of times we just go through the motions because we get into autopilot and keep going. Find ways to be intentional about your energy sources and it can totally transform the way you live your life. I chose this picture to go with this blog post because it was a day that I ran off of pure happy and positive energy. I saw 5 clients at my office that day, zoomed downtown to each lunch, and then Ashley and I did a photoshoot for our businesses. I should have been falling over that day but instead I was running off of all of the the energy. I was surrounded by amazing people and their energy was great. I was running off to the energy that having gratitude for the ability to have a photoshoot was giving me. It was a great day. The picture captures the joy and the joy there was good energy all around. It was a phenomenal day.