What is YOUR energy in relationships? How do other people experience you? Sometimes it’s different than you might assume!
Recently, we talked about recognizing the energy-givers and the energy-drainers in our lives. Sometimes those things are activities, and sometimes they can be people.
Have you ever considered what kind of energy YOU bring to your relationships?
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, an author and neuroscientist, experienced a burst blood vessel in the left side of her brain when she was in her thirties. She had a stroke as a result. She could no longer walk, talk, understand language, read, or write. But, because the part of her brain that experiences emotion was undamaged, she was able to “feel immense feelings of satisfaction [and] well-being. She experienced people as ‘concentrated packages of energy’. Although she could not cognitively understand the doctors [and] visitors as they came in and out, she could ‘sense’ what others felt. By closely studying their body language she would notice how some people would ‘bring her energy’ and others would ‘take it away.’”
You can read more about Dr. Jill’s story here.
Now, step back for a moment and consider this: What if your friends could perceive you as a “concentrated package of energy”? Would they say you bring God’s light, peace, love, and joy to them? Or would they say you rob them of His life-giving spirit?
Would your friends say your energy in relationships is encouraging or critical? Would they describe you as caring or caustic? Life-giving or life-draining?
As best-selling author Dr. John Townsend suggests, be “curious rather than defensive” when someone tries to give you feedback about yourself. Take the risk and ask some of your closest, loving, truth-telling friends how they see you.
Here are a couple of verses from the book of Proverbs about the wisdom of listening to what others tell us about ourselves:
If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. (Proverbs 15:32 NLT)
To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry. (Proverbs 25:12)
As you re-assess what you want your life to look, don’t forget to take a good look in the mirror and see if you are truly the person you want to be. Is your energy in relationships the kind you hope it is? Is it what your loved ones need?
If not, now is a great time to make a few changes!
Don’t forget: you don’t have to go through this exercise alone! If you’d like support as you consider your “energy,” please schedule a complimentary discovery call. We can see if group or 1-on-1 coaching is a good fit to help you gain some clarity.
Here’s to becoming all God has created us to be!
Warmly,
Georgia
P.S. – Stay tuned for a new self-assessment QUIZ coming up soon! It’s in the works over here, and I can’t wait to get it out to you. If you’d like to be an early tester for this quiz, please leave a comment below. We’d love to get your feedback once it’s up and running!
