Tuesday, December 7, 2004

While waiting the other day for my son Leo to complete his karate lesson, I found myself sitting next to an older man; both of us engrossed in our own work. That is, until a young child came bounding past both of us. She was gone in a second and the older man looked up and said to me, "I wish I had one-tenth of her energy."

In a split-second, I said the first thing that came to my mind. [That happens quite often and some of the time I'm never quite sure where the responses come from or the point I'm trying to make. This was one of those times.] I turned to the gentleman and said, "You already have that same level of energy; you just need the right motivation to bring it out." Another woman nearby, overhearing my comment, said quickly, "I know what you mean! It's After-Thanksgiving-Day Sales for me - I could go all day! It gets me pumping" It was then that I realized what I had said...

As gradually aging adults, we often turn to our youth and make the very same proclamation. "If I had that kind of energy, I would..." "If I was only that young again, I would..." "Oh, to be young again and..." It is true, we can never go back to what was - all of Life has as its life cycle years of increase, followed by decline. And while this may be true, our exuberance and emotional energy throughout life can remain a constant. So, in the spirit of the woman's comment above, what gets you pumping?

Is it work? Is it household chores? Volunteer work? A hobby or project? A sport? A spiritual practice? It is that adventure in your daily life, that when you engage in it, you lose track of time and feel at peace and a sense of oneness with yourself. It is that adventure that makes you giddy, excited and anxious. It is that "motivation" that gives you that endless energy of a child at play...

Ever wonder why young children seem to have boundless energy? It would seem because all of their energy is focused on exactly what they want to do at that moment; it is this motivation (the activity their engaged in) that gives them endless energy. How wonderful it would be like these little children and avoid the mundane daily tasks and responsibilities of adult life... but we can't go back to the life we led as a child... so, if we can't go back, let us march forward, but to our own drumbeat...

In this season of joy and Christmas magic that is the motivation for all childlike energy, make a commitment to seek out your own personal motivations; motivations that "get you pumping" and provides you with some of that wonderful endless childlike energy. You owe it to yourself to bounce off the ceiling from excitement in your life, so don't deny yourself. Enjoy each day by connecting for at least a few moments with that endless childlike energy - laugh stronger, run faster, dance more, and jump higher than you have in the past few years. You may truly surprise yourself and you will overhear others say, "I wish I had one-tenth of his/her energy..."