Taking Responsibility for Your Energy with Help from Albert Einstein

“A man's value to the community depends primarily on how far his feelings, thoughts, and actions are directed towards promoting the good of his fellows.” -Albert Einstein

I’ve been pondering lately the power of thought, attitude, and its effects on ourselves and others. It’s not the first time I’ve dedicated study to it as the first time I actively began experimenting with the notion was after reading Napoleon Hill’s, “Think and Grow Rich” many years ago and again a few years back with Dr. Dyer’s, “Power of Intention” (one that I’m currently re-reading as a result of this re-stimulation; a refresher course so to speak).

This concept seems mystical to some and is indeed difficult to comprehend for many but I think all of us have experienced it, whether consciously or unconsciously. There is an energy that radiates from us; a mood that permeates our surroundings and each individual is calibrated differently. That energy affects ourselves and the people around us in either a positive, neutral, or negative way.

"It followed from the special theory of relativity that mass and energy are both but different manifestations of the same thing — a somewhat unfamiliar conception for the average mind. Furthermore, the equation E = mc², in which energy is put equal to mass, multiplied by the square of the velocity of light, showed that very small amounts of mass may be converted into a very large amount of energy and vice versa.” -Albert Einstein

I’m sure you’ve been around the “downer” that just seems to kill any good mojo in a space. In a past life, I worked in place that the CEO was only there about half the time but you didn’t need to see him to determine if he was in that day. You could feel the dark cloud hover over the place. You felt it in your gut and the atmosphere and temperament of the staff changed. As a bunch of IT geeks, we would joke that “he who must not be named” was present or we could feel a “disturbance in the force” when the black sedan came rolling onto the grounds.

There the energy was negative and calibrated very highly that even the most positive person would struggle to maintain their peaceful state of mind and many would retreat, hide, and hope to avoid any direct interaction. It was a toxic environment and once I realized my power to change it from the inside was a lost cause, I moved on, as did (and to my knowledge still do) many, many others in a constant revolving door of talented people.

On the flip-side, I’ve been in the presence of people who’s calming demeanor could disarm a charging rhino (metaphorically speaking!); the peaceful person that radiates, even in silence, an energy that puts an uneasy mind to rest.

This is the goal and I, like many others, believe this is possible by a shift in thought and subsequently, attitude. It’s not necessarily easy, but many things in life worth doing are not so here are some ideas that we (yeah, you and I) can do now to get on the path of emanating more positive and more powerful energy, with help from Professor Einstein:

1. Remember you are not separate but a part of a relatively infinite energy source.

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us "Universe", a part limited in time and space. ...I like to experience the universe as one harmonious whole. Every cell has life. Matter, too, has life; it is energy solidified.” -Albert Einstein

Or as Carl Sagan says, “...we who embody the local eyes and ears and thoughts and feelings of the cosmos we've begun, at last, to wonder about our origins. Star stuff, contemplating the stars organized collections of 10 billion-billion-billion atoms contemplating the evolution of matter tracing that long path by which it arrived at consciousness here on the planet Earth and perhaps, throughout the cosmos.”

To parse out some key points, he’s reminding us that we (yeah, you and I) are made of star stuff and we are the eyes, ears, thoughts, and feelings of the cosmos. We are the cosmos.

2. Strengthen your imagination.

“I believe in intuition and inspiration. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.” -Albert Einstein

I interpret “embracing the entire world” as in a selfless way; the same for “progress”. There are many tyrants and selfish leaders in our history (and present day) that have made their own attempt to embrace the world and push their agenda but I don’t call that progress. Yet both are moved by a powerful vision, aka imagination.

Start by dedicating time to sit quietly and imagine the “you” that you want to be. Be as detailed as you possibly can and over time your imagination will continue to improve and these fine details will come easier and easier. To be a positive person that emits positive energy, then focus on that. Focus on it so hard that you actually start to feel it. Keep doing it, over and over, day after day. The energy is there; you are a conduit. Be open to letting it flow through you.

I’ve been practicing this and I am getting better, not perfect, but progressing. Depending on a lot of factors, this may be easy or difficult for you. If you’re starting from a hard place where negative feelings and pessimistic thinking dominates your mind, you will have to focus more, be more consistent to avoid slipping back to old habits.  Believe and stick with it - you do have a choice on this matter.

If you're having trouble, go back to step 1 and remember that at a base level there is no difference between you and anybody else that’s ever lived - including the likes of the Dali Lama and Mother Teresa - we’re all made of star stuff and are a part of the magic of the cosmos.

3. Don’t let others drag you down.

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.” -Albert Einstein

We all inevitably encounter people that, for whatever reason, just want to take the wind out of your sails. Case in point, that CEO I mentioned above. Being aware that people exist that emit high amounts of negative energy prepares you for such encounters. It allows you to not be blindsided and dragged down to their mental state and better able to keep your composure. If it’s persistent, and it’s important to you (which it should be), get away from them, even if that means making some tough decisions.

4. Eat well and exercise.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results." -Albert Einstein

For a period starting in my upper twenties I began getting bouts of low physical energy. That low physical energy also correlated to my mental attitude. I was physically active and eating like I always had; so what changed? I went to Dr.’s and got tests but nothing really showed anything “wrong” with me. I stayed on that conventional path doing what I thought was right (but expecting different results??).

Then I turned to the internet and found an article by Mark Sisson that lead to my primal eating and fitness experiment. It worked and my physical energy is soaring. And, I’m finding it a lot easier to generate positive thoughts and feelings with the compliments of abundant physical energy.

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I truly believe the notion that if we change our thoughts, we change our lives. This is how you control your destiny. There is an interaction, a battle of energy of sorts. Your energy will either radiate or be consumed by others. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, said it best, “control your destiny or someone else will.”

*Albert Einstein quotes sourced though http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein and image through Wiki Commons. Help keep information free, go to savetheinternet.com.