If you’re a fan of ancient Greek philosophy or quantum physics, then you’re familiar with the principle that “everything is energy in motion”—including us humans. National Geographic explained:
“Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transferred and transformed. There are a number of different ways energy can be changed, such as when potential energy becomes kinetic energy or when one object moves another object.”
By directing your energy and intention, you can create your own optimal experiences.
When your thoughts and actions are aligned with what energizes you, you can reduce any confusion or friction between your heart and mind to experience more joy and fulfillment.
PositivePsychology.com summarized various elements about flow—what it is, its impact on our brains, and how to achieve it. They featured Author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s eight characteristics of flow, which include elements such as complete concentration on the task, effortlessness and ease, and highlighting the fact that when actions and awareness are merged, one loses self-conscious rumination.
You can also boost your overall happiness and well-being.
With focus and intention, you can reinvent or transform your state of mind and how you show up. A good place to kick start any change effort is by understanding your current state compared to your desired state, where you can uncover gaps and determine ways to close them.
To navigate your own transformation, here are some tools to guide you:
Tackle your belief system.
This is all about tuning into your inner dialogue and mindset to eliminate the “I must____” and “I absolutely should____” from your vocabulary and thinking. These views stem from what you believe is true for you to feel okay. You may or may not be conscious of your attitudes and opinions and how they affect what you do.
Here are five steps to help you discover what may be holding you back. Additionally, Dr. Albert Ellis, who founded Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, created the “ABCDE” model to help individuals identify and modify their feelings using logic and deductive reasoning. It probes users to pinpoint an Activating event, their Beliefs around it, what the Consequences of having those beliefs may be, and then asks the user to Dispute or debate them, and to visualize the potential Effects of doing so.
Tap into your emotional intelligence skills.
There are 15 emotional quotient (EQ) competencies in the Multi-Health Systems’ EQ-i 2.0® and EQ 360® inventory systems, all of which you can either “maintain,” “amp up,” or “dial back” based on a particular circumstance or situation. Steven Stein, PhD, and Howard Book, MD, in their book The EQ Edge, define emotional intelligence as:
“A set of emotional and social skills that influence the way we perceive and express ourselves, develop and maintain social relationships, cope with challenges, and use emotional information in an effective and meaningful way.”
Amplifying your talents is a dynamic process that impacts what you say and do, and how you act. Whether you notice or not, you give out a specific energetic vibe and message at the emotional level when interacting with others that impacts how they may respond to you. Here are five aspects to consider when assessing how you show up. To deepen your connections and strengthen your relationships, consider aligning these areas in your approach.
Create balance between your head, heart, and body.
When your internal system, desires, values, and goals are congruent with your outward persona and actions, you’ll be more effective and experience more peace. Genuine transformation occurs when your head, heart, and body, aka your thinking, feeling, and action centers, are nurtured equally with constructive habits and routines. Here are a few potential scenarios with ways to develop balance and strengthen your resiliency.
Integrate all aspects of yourself.
The iEQ9 Integrative Enneagram Questionnaire reports on a range of personality dimensions that explain why one behaves the way they do, and points to a specific direction for individual growth. One of those measures is Integration, a point-in-time measurement that refers to moving from a trapped, fixated relationship to our Core Type and primary instinct creating a more alert and intentional state. As you access energies from your growth lines and wings, you can temper your reactions and respond more successfully.
Acknowledge and accept.
As human beings, we are complex—emotionally, physically, and scientifically. Knowing and accepting all parts of who you are—your persona, core motivation, values, preferences, instinctual tendencies, traits, fears, strengths, weaknesses, and behaviors— is all about being honest and taking accountability for your thoughts, actions, and feelings. Self-awareness, as defined by the EQ-i 2.0®, is the ability to recognize your emotions, differentiate between them, know why you are feeling them, and recognize the impact your emotional reactions have on others around you. Here are some additional tips on harnessing your YOU-ness.
You don’t need to go it alone when exploring making a shift in your life or career.
Personal transformation is challenging and it’s messy in the middle, but success is within your reach. Even if it’s just for five minutes or it’s one small thing, write down and commit to what you want to do differently. If you’re contemplating all of the reasons why it can’t work, catch yourself in the act and shift your mindset by asking yourself, “What if this is possible?” and start taking action.
If you’re looking for a coach (and cheerleader), my approach is about meeting you where you are and empowering you to harness your YOU-ness and activate your best. Schedule a free 30-minute call and sign up for my free monthly newsletter to learn more.