Are You Aware of the Energy You Sent Out There?

KEY POINTS

• You radiate energy to people around you. Let it be uplifting and positive.
• We all have a fair share of difficulties in life. Please don't bring that negative energy to work. 
• Adjust your energy level - high, medium, or low - to people you communicate with.

Regardless of what we do, where we go, people we communicate with (or not), we always send energy out there - positive, negative, high, low, friendly, unfriendly, etc. What kind of energy do you send when you are with your friends, family, coworkers, bosses, strangers? Are you even aware of it? Are you staying true to yourself, even if you need to adjust a bit? Does your energy change depending on who you are with?

It was September 16, 2009. As usual, I was up 5 AM and took a 6 AM train from Hamilton, New Jersey to Newark Penn Station and then Path train from Newark Penn Station to Jersey City. That day, like most of the days throughout my 12 years career for this company, I started early and usually ended late. I was only four-month on a new job - managing technology deployment and operation for a large financial firm.

It was around 7.20 AM. After saying hello and bringing some positive energy to my team, who worked hard all night, I was ready for the first thing I needed to do – get a coffee. By the coffee machine standing was Julie, who, by the way, soon becomes Chief Technology Officer. I did not know her well, but I knew who she was. Tough, hard-working, honest, always tells the truth – in your face kind of executive. In a way, most people were afraid of her.  

In my authentic loud voice, I shouted, "Good morning, Julie." She looked at me and said in a quiet voice, "Braco, it is seven a clock in the morning. Please lower your voice. Let me have my coffee in peace". I said "Sorry, Julie" and continued with my day, spreading my enthusiasm to my direct reports and the folks around me.

The next day, I happened to see Julie at the same spot and around the same time. She beat me again and was in a coffee line before me. This time, I said in my quietest voice possible – she could hardly hear me, "Good morning, Julie." Julie turned around and said in a loud voice, "What the f. happened to you?". "Look, Julie," I said. "If you can raise your voice a little bit, I will lower mine, and we meet in the middle" How's that? ". "That sounds fair," Julie said.    

Ever since then, Julie and I have worked so well together. Unlike most folks, I was not afraid of her or what she was going to say. If she thought I could do an even better job, she would make that clear in her style. If I agreed, I would do my best to follow her advice. If I disagreed, we would discuss it. If people needed something from Julie, they would come to me and ask to talk to her. Funny. I established excellent relationships with the same person that yelled at me just because I said Good morning.

But that is not true; she did not yell because I said, "Good morning." She yelled because I was "too much for her." Although I tried my entire career to send positive energy and enthusiasm (because that is authentic Braco), I sometimes needed to adjust. Not everyone was my loud family. We don't need to be loud to show our enthusiasm. And the adjustment was necessary when I was communicating with Julie.

We send energy out through our body movements or non-movements, eyes, heart even brain. So you really can't hide it. If you bring your happiness from home, you will radiate happiness. If you bring your troubles, you will release energy that will not serve you nor folks around you well.

 We all go through difficult times in life, and we sometimes bring that to others. Just be aware of it because unless you are talking to your shrink, best friend, or person you trust for the advice, try not to bring your negativity and challenging time. 

Because you know what, we all have a share of a hard life. But to bring us up, we all need positive energy.  We need folks to lift us.  So why don't you, if you are not already, decide to be the one who brings positive energy everywhere you go, and if necessary, adjust it up or down. Bring it to your friends, family, neighbors, strangers, coworkers, bosses, positive psychology coaches, coaching clients - everyone around you.  This world needs your positivity now more than ever, and I count on you.

Braco Pobric is an Internationally Recognized Positive Psychology Expert, Executive Coach, and Corporate Trainer. He is the bestselling author of Habits and Happiness: How to Become Happier and Improve Your Wellbeing by Changing Your Habits. Braco is a founding member and Chief Happiness Officer of the Life Success Academy, Certified Positive Psychology Master Trainer, and former globally Certified Trainer and Business Coach for Dale Carnegie Training. He trained over 60,000 Students in 172 countries.