What Are You Spreading?

I’m settled in to one of my favorite cafés in town to get some writing and emails done. As a somewhat regular here, the owner comes over to say hi.

“What’s new, Mike?” I ask.

He dives right in about several projects he’s clearly excited about, and shares his vision, ideas, and goals. After about 10 or 15 minutes, he stops.

“Sorry about that,” he says. “Your question was probably rhetorical and I just went on and on.”

“Oh, hell no,” I respond. “I’m lovin’ this.”

His enthusiasm is infectious. His eyes are lit up and his energy is radiant. I’m glad he answered fully and honestly. It’s gotten me all juiced! I feel inspired, supercharged, and motivated. 

“Hey, I’m in! If you need any more people to make this happen, let me know.”

We wrap up our conversation and Mike heads back to his other customers. Still riding the wave of his excitement, I dive into my work. Then I get to thinking. Because his energy was so infectious, I momentarily fooled myself into thinking that I need to be involved with his project to stay in that zone. Why can’t I just tag-team off of his passion and apply it to my stuff? While I’m definitely interested in learning more about what he’s doing, it doesn’t have to stop there.

I often hear this from clients, too. They meet someone new or get into a conversation about something the other person is totally jazzed about and they walk away thinking, “I wanna get me some of that!” Then they tell themselves that they better do exactly what that person is doing to get it.

So. Not. True. Sure, go ahead and bag up some of the good juju, but pour it all over your passions and interests. You don’t have to become that person to get that feeling. When you get into your unique flow with the Universe, you become like Mike: a carrier of joy that you then naturally transmit to those around you.

Stop and think about it in this moment: What are people currently catching from you? Possibility or negativity? With what types of carriers are you surrounding yourself? Is it time to find some more joyologists?

Energy and moods are super contagious, so pay close attention to the health of your environment, both internally and externally. And now, as I write this week’s newsletter, I imagine Mike’s passion being transferred to you, through me. Talk about paying it forward! So if you’re feeling energized after reading this, you can thank Mike at the Atomic Cafe in Newburyport, MA.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of this! Please join the conversation in the comments.

Until next week, keep taking those small steps to Live Out Loud.