Keeping the Bunny Energized

I’ve always been a very up-and-down kind of guy. I’m the type of person who wears his emotions on his sleeve for the entire world to see ALL the time. I have a really hard time concealing it. The change in my continence is not only obvious, but often. I’m like a roller coaster… up, down, up down, up, down… If I’m feeling disappointed or depressed, it’s obvious from my deflated posture and sullen facial expressions. When I’m successful or excited, there’s a noticeable spring in my step, a grin splitting my face in half and a palpable energy around me. I can barely contain myself with the need to share my glee! Mad, nervous, stressed, frustrated, confused… it’s all the same. Obvious, and…. up, down, up, down, up down. My face is like a billboard exclaiming to all passers by how my day is going. I don’t do any of this intentionally. I’m not sure how to NOT do it. Conversely, and inconceivably, I have friends who, upon winning the lottery, would react as though they had just heard the beep of a microwave telling them that their hot pocket lunch is ready. “Oh, that’s good.” That's it?? That kind of temperment and mentality baffles me to no end. No passion, no exageration, no zeal...

I’m also a very idea-infatuated person. I’ve got more ideas bouncing around in my little head than Las Vegas has hotel rooms! Some of them are even good ideas. With all of this neural activity, one tends to shift from inspiration to ambitition, then distraction, deflation, and finally frustration… all in short succession.

I’m no Energizer Bunny! The constant mixing of all that brain traffic and roller coaster mood-swinging can be exhausting. And being this way, my ABs (Ambition Batteries) often require recharging. Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. I agree. And I’ve not only discovered the necessity to recharge my ambition batteries, but I’ve also invented several methods to do it. These work for me anyway…

Discover what inspires you, and inspire yourself with it regularly: For me, this means audio books, success stories on YouTube, and casual drives through rich neighborhoods. Although I’m always looking for new ones, I listen to the same 2 audio books over and over and over again. Each time, I get something totally new from them and ALWAYS a charge to my “ABs!” I love watching clips from interviews and documentaries on YouTube about successful people. There’s just something very inspiring about see “how they did it.” I love driving through neighborhoods of the wealthy. I like to see their lavish yards, fancy cars and amazing houses. It helps me to remember what’s possible with hard work, creativity, and innovative thinking.

Surround yourself with like-minded “birds of a feather”: You don’t play in the mud with pigs without getting dirty, and you don’t surround yourself with smokers without eventually smelling like one. The same can be said about cleanliness, education and success. Becoming what you want to be can be greatly accelerated by associating with those who are already living it.

Keep your eye on the prize through lists: Achieving many little goals leads to achieve the big ones. Slow-going or not, a step in the right direction every day will eventually result in arriving at the desired destination. I’m a total list-maker. Every day I create a new list, check things off when they’re done, and then start over again the next day. Writing things down not only frees up my mind for more active brain traffic, but it also helps me sleep more soundly, feel more accomplished, actually achieve more goals, and, in the end, keep my “ABs” charged.