I was in the mood Saturday for a color change. So I headed to the beauty section at my neighborhood drugstore. As I compared shades of bright, berry-colored nail polishes, a young woman in her early 20s, who’d been shopping a few feet from me, struck up a conversation.
SHE: Excuse me. Can I ask you a question?
ME: Sure.
SHE: I know this is kind of random, but which of these should I get? I can’t decide.
She held up two packages of decorative, glue-on fingernails. One set was embellished with a black-and-white zebra pattern; the other sparkled with a flecked coating of multi-colored glitter. Her own nails were adorned with a black-and-white houndstooth pattern.
SHE: I already have these. (Indicating the houndstooth.)
ME: Well…if you’re wearing a black-and-white design now, maybe the more colorful set would be a nice change. It’s spring, and glitter is….happy.
SHE: Yeah! And happy is cool! Thanks.
I smiled as she walked away. She was right. Happy is cool. When we’re happy, we feel good. And it’s in our feeling good that we have more energy, more focus, more clarity, more power to create and achieve. And here’s something ultra cool: There is no limit to the energy of happiness. It’s the “jump for joy” and “skip in your step” kind of energy.
Now for the best news about your energy: You get to control it, because you get to choose the thoughts you think. Your energy — your power — is always in the present moment. So what can you think about, appreciate or enjoy that makes you feel good? What’s giving you your greatest competitive advantage?
Tags: happiness, human energy, leadership qualities, leadership skills, managing yourself, personal effectiveness, positive energy, success
