The Gift of Quiet

For the past week or so I have been jogging in a new gym. The first few days were almost painful. I told myself it was the altitude (its over 6400 feet high here) that I had gotten out of shape, anything I could to soften the dread of going back. And then, today, something happened. The man who worked out next to me, stayed home. And guess what? I could have run for hours! So what happened? Was it his scent, his conversation…his energy?

The older I become, more and more I recognize how different people’s energies affect mine. Some literally drain me. Others fill me up. When I am out of touch with myself, rushed or stressed, I don’t notice the specifics of how energies affect me. I don’t seem to have time to hear what is going on around me. But when I slow down enough to hear and honor what I feel, everything begins to make sense, I know what I need to do to feel better. Luckily, I had help this time.

Mark is a super nice guy. He never hit on me, made me feel uncomfortable, or even talked too much. He even made sure to give me enough space to exercise in peace. But, honestly, his energy just didn’t jive with mine. It sucked me dry.

Energies aren’t ‘wo-woo’ anymore. They are real and their effects deserve to be honored. But to honor them, we must feel them, and to feel them we have to give ourselves the gift of quiet. Time alone to check in with ourselves and how we genuinely feel isn’t just good for our spirits, its necessary for our health and wellbeing. When was the last time you gave yourself that gift?