Conservation of Energy

Life is full of paradoxes. I find that I am constantly trying to conserve energy. You never know when you're going to need it, right? I tell myself that I can't do whatever current thing there is to do because then I might be to tired to do something else later. When it comes time to do that something else, I tell myself I had better not because I'll be too tired to do the next thing.

What we forget is that our bodies are constantly producing energy. We eat several times a day in order to provide fuel, but often don't do much other than exist between meals. Herein lies the problem.

If we are constantly producing energy and rarely use it, it gets stored. That's fine. It's quite handy if you're ever stranded in the middle of nowhere for a week or two. If we are consistently storing energy, in the form of fat, and never busting into those stores we just keep getting bigger, not better.

That was the physical issue. Now on to the spiritual issue. If we are constantly producing energy but never expelling it in proportionate amounts, we stagnate. We stop growing. There is only so much consumption we can do before our output drops to almost nothing.

Produce something. Be creative. Be exhausted. Instead of thinking about how you can conserve energy, think about how you can get rid of as much as possible. What can you do today to serve as many people as you can in the best way you can? The answer to this question is the answer to a lot of questions. What should you do with your life? Serve as many people as you can in the best way you can. What is your calling? To serve as many people as you can in the best way you can. How can you be fulfilled? Serve as many people as you can in the best way you can.

The paradox here is that the more energy you spend serving people as best you can, the more energy gets produced. You'll feel more alive because you are more alive. You'll go to bed exhausted and wake up full of energy to do it again!

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Comment by Raun Lauterbach on January 3, 2013 at 7:25pm: Pete -- Great point! Having a clearly defined goal to work toward (and measure progress against) does seem to cause a specific change in how we view our resources. When we recognize all we have to work with, we are able to move past the roadblocks.

Lesley -- your exercise example illustrates the concept perfectly. In early October, I started getting up at 5am on weekday mornings to have a dedicated time to focus and work. I am getting less sleep these days, but the prospect of being productive regularly more than makes up for it. I could really use a good exercise regimen though. :)

Comment by Lesley Sobeck on January 3, 2013 at 5:48pm: That's so true. I'm still exploring the energy equation for work and spiritual, but I completely agree with it for the physical. I come home tired from my day job, and look at exercise with a bad attitude. But if I can talk myself to get started, I feel great once I do it and actually accomplish more afterwards in less time than I would have if I'd skipped the workout. What a paradox!

Comment by Peter A Ferguson on January 3, 2013 at 8:53am: Raun, I too once thought as you suggest - operating out of a paradigm that life only has so much to give. Unfortunately, the scarcity paradigm is BS. I recall when I was at the depths of depression, I thought back to a time when I was serving in a very active assignment at Church, traveling often, taking a night class, going to the gym regularly, reading two books a month and my wife worked 20 hours a day.

That inspired me to start jogging while listening to books on tape and study for a certification.

Life is full of energy. The more we work on what we love, the more energy we have to keep on going. For me, if I do not have a clear direction, then just barely existing is exhausting. But when I have a clearly defined goal, resources are abundant and I am full of life.

Good luck! Pete