I’ve been writing so long, and my memory is terrible…
I suspect that I’ve written about this before,
but it feels timely and interesting to me…
So, here it goes…
As I walked along a beautiful Spring day listening to a podcast last week,
I heard the speaker talk about kinetic and potential energy,
and my mind took off.
To be honest, I don’t really remember what the speaker was talking about
but the concept of kinetic and potential energy
sparked my mind and off I went.
It was like my feet left the ground and I started walking inside my mind.
There were many concepts that I heard as a boy,
and I don’t remember most. I am pretty sure that I didn’t understand most.
But from the very first time I heard about the two types of energy,
I could fully conceptualize them…
Kinetic energy - energy in motion, energy being spent
Potential energy - energy at rest, energy being stored
As I let my mind wonder as my legs walked the streets
thinking about energy, another concept seemed so clear
that I could touch it…
Kinetic energy is harmony.
Potential energy is disharmony.
Hang on… just wait before your roll your eyes - or disagree.
Moments spent in “disharmony”, are moments spent “wishing”.
“Wishing” almost by definition is the desire to consume our stored energy in a different way.
When I let my mind spend too much time considering my “POTENTIAL”…
the things I “COULD” maybe be doing…
It is my “potential” to be more disciplined, that creates my dissatisfaction with my current level of discipline…
my “potential” to be more creative, or to be more loving, or to be more connected, or to be more efficient, or to be more entrepreneurial, or to be more bold and more courageous…
Because…
You know what…
I actually believe that I have AMAZING potential. I believe that sincerely. I believe that I am blessed and gifted with objectivity, with rationality, with an unusual capacity to see “better” from “not as good” … and I know with great certainty deep in my heart - that it gives me great potential to do well in life - and do good.
And, it is in the moments when I linger in that “potential” that I “wish” I tapped into it more…
I “wish” that I could find a way to leverage that more, to channel that more, to explore that more…
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH…
It is when I allow myself to linger in the thought of my potential energy - that I am in disharmony.
When I focus on my kinetic energy… on my action… it feels different. And, the truth is I don’t spend enough moments considering, leveraging, celebrating my kinetic energy… my soul and body in motion.
Maybe that is why dancing feels so good… Dancing is a body in motion.
I don’t spend too much time celebrating, reminiscing, analyzing my kinetic energy…
The things that I have done… good or bad.
But, when I do. I feel pride and gratitude and satisfaction. I am in harmony.
I often discount “kinetic” memories, because I feel like those moments are gone,
that energy is “SPENT”… but if I allow myself to go there, if you allow yourself to go there…
What do you find? How do you feel?
I think about all of the challenges in my life that I didn’t quit… I suck at quitting.
I think about all of the energy that I have spent - learning to find and feel joy.
All of the energy that I have spent trying and failing, and trying again.
I think about the places that has taken me… both geographically and mentally…
and they have been amazing and unforgettable…
I have seen so much of the world, and felt so much of my heart.
And, the people that I have met along the way… The beautiful, wonderful, caring, intelligent, dedicated, imperfect, unique souls that spending my energy has allowed me to meet & know & love…
When I focus on my kinetic energy - both spent and in motion - the experience of my life feels so very different…
I focus on the hundreds of loyal, dedicated people that I have the honor and pleasure of leading, not the unknown souls that my potential has the possibility of leading.
Are you still with me?
When I am working out… even when I feel unfit and inflexible… I feel so much better about the experience of my life than when I think about my potential to be a strong older man ;-)
Think about it… when you think about your children - about the experiences you’ve shared, about the time you spend together… versus when you think about their “potential”…
when you think about your spouse - about the things you’ve lived, experienced, overcome… versus when you think about the “potential” of a relationship…
when you think about what you do - about the people you love, the people you help, the problems you solve, the successes you’ve had… versus when you think about your “potential” as a professional…
It’s like two different minds… two different emotions… two different worlds… two different energies.
When I am solving problems… even when I am getting them wrong, as long as my energy is spent in learning from my mistakes… I feel so much better about the experience of my life than when I think about the problems that I could be solving.
I know this can sound arrogant… it actually feels arrogant to me to write that I believe that I have “amazing potential”, but then I think about it more…
And, I believe ALL OF US have “unbelievable & virtually unlimited potential”… I sincerely DO… but, I can never know your thoughts, nor your mind, as you know it. I can only know mine… I can only, I believe truly change and affect mine…
There is another conversation here which I won’t divert into - regarding our focus on “other” people’s potential versus kinetic energy. Let’s save that one… as this one is more than enough to consider for now.
Do you agree?
Is it when we linger on the “potential” of our lives that we are most at risk of feeling disharmony?
Is it when we are considering the “potential” of the life that we could be living… especially, if we allow ourselves to go backward and consider our “potential” based on having made different decisions that leads us to disharmony - wishing our lives where different?
Please know - I am not suggesting that doing so doesn’t provide us with wisdom on some level, and help us learn from our lives… it absolutely does. But, lingering in those moments, lingering in that “potential” energy breeds disharmony. And, disharmony begets disharmony.
Whereas, spending MORE of our moments…. considering, focusing on, celebrating, analyzing our ENERGY in MOTION… the things we’ve actually done… the energy we’ve actually spent… it also provides us with wisdom and helps us learn from our lives… it absolutely does. And, lingering in those moments, lingering in that “kinetic” energy breeds so very often pride, courage, confidence, gratitude… it breeds harmony.
And, harmony begets harmony.
I don’t know if you see the correlation between the two.
But, sensing the absolute truth in the comparison made me smile…
Acknowledging the clarity with which I many years ago conceptualized “kinetic” and “potential” energy,, intrigued me, as I compared it with the clarity I felt just a few days ago when I saw the correlation between those two types of energy and “harmony” and “disharmony”…
I know…
I know…
I am weird.
But… hey. I don’t make you read this stuff. You made that decision on your own ;-)
Reading is kinetic…
Do you see it now?
It’s late… but writing is kinetic.
See it now?
the “magic” happens when we take the insights, wisdom, motivation, vision from occasional consideration and visits of our “potential” - and CONVERT it to action… in a given moment…
It’s not about living your life completely differently… it’s about experiencing your moment differently… which becomes your life.
;-) I am a blessed and gifted soul… and I do have “great” potential. As do you. As do all of us.
But potential can’t be celebrated,
potential can’t be loved,
potential can’t be remembered…
Potential doesn’t solve problems, doesn’t make people feel better, it doesn’t win trophies, (heck potential doesn’t even enjoy the thrill of competing!) doesn’t make you or the world, or this moment better… And, potential certainly doesn’t crate cherished memories…
ACTS do…
ACTION does….
“Being” is kinetic.
Acting, as in taking action, is kinetic.
And, Kinetic is harmony…
I know…
You see it now…
And, I see you…
Stay in motion,
physically and mentally, and
in harmony,
Nestor