“Take responsibility for the energy you bring into a space.”
– Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, neuroanatomist, stroke survivor and author of My Stroke of Insight
When Harvard scientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor had a stroke that shut down her brain’s right hemisphere, she lost language, memories, a sense of the past and future, and her identity. She lived in the present and had an enormous awareness of the energy people brought into the room. When doctors talked to her mother instead of making eye contact and trying to connect with her, she felt devalued and didn’t want to show up for them—a lesson she now tries to instill in aspiring physicians.
The energy people carry with them can affect the moods and attitudes of others. When I’m around someone who inspires me, I feel my light brighten. Alternatively, if I come into a classroom feeling depleted, my students pick up on that and are not as engaged—which further drains me.
When this happens, I’m reminded to take care of myself not just for my own benefit but for the sake of others. If I’m stressed from overscheduling, tired due to staying up too late, wired from over-caffeinating or in pain from poor food choices (due to Crohn’s disease), that negative energy spirals from me to the people in my life and then back to me. Recharging myself through sleep, writing, yoga and meditation—and minimizing my time with energy drainers—helps me take responsibility for the energy I emanate as well as the energy that I absorb.
How can you take responsibility for the energy you emanate and receive?
