The Little Engine That Could

I can remember seeing the film version of the Little Engine That Could book when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade. It was one of those that we saw more than once at movie time and whenever it was the film that came on, I was so excited. It was like I couldn't get enough of it.

I've been thinking a lot about my dad these last weeks. It was Father's Day recently and he passed away last year. So when I saw the book in the bookstore the day before Father's Day, and said to a friend that I was an optimist even as a child, I thought of my dad even more. I've always credited my positive attitude to him; at least it was modeled by him in a few different ways. I remember sitting at his office (he owned a music store) reading the posters on his wall. They were all filled with positive sayings and even at a young age, I had my favorites. I found them uplifting and inspiring and I was always extremely excited when he would put up a new one.

I understand those who feel like affirmations and positive 'talk' are just too....positive! For them, it is and I respect that. It's impossible for the words to have any meaning if they don't ring true for you. It's not enough for you to just WANT them to feel true. They must REALLY feel REAL when you say them. That's why I never suggest to clients that they use affirmations unless they feel they really help. If there is any doubt or resistance when you think the positive thought, it isn't the thought for you. One alternative is to just use your imagination--think about what you want & FEEL what it will feel like when you have it. I'm sure that's what the Little Engine was doing as he started up the hill.

I'm also very aware that many people think that sticking to that positive attitude feels like denial. I am not endorsing the resistance of the truth of a situation. I know that it is essential to be open, to see the possibilities, to believe & to learn from what is not working and make the shifts necessary to move forward.

So there's often more to a positive attitude than saying "I think I can'. It involves finding language that works for you. It involves being open & shifting with what IS as it comes. It involves SEEING & FEELING & even LIVING what you want, what you're moving toward.

I wonder about my Dad's positive attitude sometimes-if it rang true for him always. I do know that as he was creating new ideas (which even led to a new invention & business), he believed he 'could'--just like that Little Engine. It was a powerful message to get as a child. I thank him for that. I also thank the Little Engine That Could. Ever since they started telling me I could, I've known they were right.

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Magic Stickers

Ok. So I love stickers. I probably have always loved stickers although I don't really remember playing with them so much when I was younger. I think the sticker market has improved tremendously since I was a child. I mean...just look at these!

I discovered the REAL magic of stickers when I went back to school at 36 to get my Master's Degree at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. In a course about teaching writing, our professor always returned our work with stickers. I can tell you, both men and women, no matter what their age, were equally excited about these stickers. Something like this....

For some reason, as the years went on, I forgot about the magic of stickers. But I recently discovered it again and boy, I can tell you....they really ARE magic. A teacher friend of mine started using them in her high school class and I know she'd be happy to give a testimonial about their magic - girls and boys alike are crazy about the new routine, even at that 'cool-sensitive' age!

So you might be wondering what any of this has to do with anything. Well, it has a lot to do with everything actually. Stickers are fun. They are playful, light - sometimes they are shiny, sometimes they are encouraging like your own personal cheerleader. They can be great motivators and sometimes I invite my clients to bring some playfulness in with their favorite stickers. You can find all different kinds to match your mood, to match your personal preferences. I really like flower stickers.

Here is some of my collection:

When you put stickers in a book or put them in your journal or stick them in an unexpected place, I'd be really surprised if you didn't smile when you catch a glimpse. AND people get really excited when you share stickers. When you need to lighten up someone's day (including your own), when you want to bring some child-like play energy to your day, when you want to feel some fun encouragement....please, go ahead and break out the stickers. You'll be glad you did, I'm sure of it!

YOUR Energy Scale

So one of the things I often ask my clients to do is to be very aware of their energy. I talked about this in a newsletter a while back so click here to read that if you're interested. I'd like to revisit this & offer a few more thoughts now.

I invite my clients to get very clear about what gives them energy and what takes their energy. If you haven't thought about this before, start being curious about it. When you do something, or spend time with someone, see what happens....do you get a 'kick' of energy or do you feel drained?

At times, this can be a little tricky since if we are running on little fuel (due to too many commitments, lack of sleep, poor eating habits etc), our energy gauge is off. If you want to play the Energy Game, it's best to do it when you have a bit of fuel in the tank.

So once you know there is a little reserve there, think about YOUR scale. What do you feel like when you have a 'good' amount of energy? On a scale from 1 to 10, is this optimal amount a 5 (sort of like an Even Steven feeling) for you or a 10 (the faucet is turned on FULL blast) or somewhere in between? There's no right answer since it depends on YOUR relationship with energy. What does it feel like when you are drained and how do you know? When are you maybe using too much energy? These are all questions you can explore and answer for yourself. And they can lead you to the next powerful question... 'How much of my  time do I spend  doing things that fill me up?'

Again, I'd like to remind you that this is your OWN scale and not someone else's - like your partner's or your best friend's or society around you. This can be quite fun when you start exploring it. Of course the ways we get our energy are completely subjective. It's easy, though, to be influenced by what OTHERS think is a good way to use energy. I invite you to think about this - which ways do the people around you think are the 'right' ways to spend your time & energy? Do they match what YOU think?

Here's a simple example...You might be totally fueled by going to a party and spending time with many people, while most often, that would totally drain me. Instead, my energy comes from being in smaller groups and having one-on-one time with people.

 
Remember, there is no 'right' way. And naturally it doesn't mean you can always avoid the things that drain you. It does mean, however, that you can become more aware of how you are spending your time. Once you start tapping into this, it becomes essential to honor yourself this way. When you do this, the fuel lasts MUCH longer and therefore, there is much more of YOU to go around. So....what does YOUR energy scale look like?


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