3 Lanes

The driver in front of me had just cut across three lanes to make an exit, nearly running everyone off the road.

I saw red.
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This “jerk” joined the assembly of other “jerks” that day whose wrongdoings had triggered my brain’s fight-or-flight response. (Primarily fight.)
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By the time I got home, I was exhausted.

I’d spent so much emotional energy on trivial stuff that I had almost none left for the things that actually mattered.

I’m no stranger to poor emotional economics.

Emotional energy is like money.
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When you spend it on what’s truly important, there’s a great return—making it an investment.

When you waste it on insignificant things, the perpetual costs eventually lead to bankruptcy.

Becoming aware of your emotional spending habits is one of the most significant steps you can take to transform your energy from rags to riches.
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High-energy emotions come with a high price tag.
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While there is no such thing as globally “positive” or “negative” emotions, it’s true that emotions are experienced differently.

We usually experience high-energy emotions like joy and excitement as positive, and other high-energy emotions like anger and fear as negative.

Even the emotions you enjoy can leave you drained.

But it’s particularly important to manage the emotions you experience as negative.

Here’s why…
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When your brain perceives “danger,” it floods your system with energy to handle the threat.

Whether that danger is a lion in your living room or a rude comment on social media, your brain can’t tell the difference.

It just knows there’s a problem, and you need a supercharger to deal with it.

Your emotional energy reserves are finite, though. When you use a lot at once, it takes time to recover, leaving less energy for other physical, mental, or emotional priorities.

Would you go into energy debt to fight a lion? Probably.

But…

• Do you feel the same way about the minuscule things you encounter every day that can set off the same response?
• Do you want to give the person who cuts you off in traffic the energy you need for your family and friends?
• Do you want the stranger you’re arguing with on social media to inherit the energy you could use for creativity and focus?

Probably not.

Reacting emotionally isn’t inherently bad.
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It’s when the number of things in your life that trigger a prolonged downward emotional spiral increase, and you’re left feeling exhausted.

It’s easy to get hooked on the adrenaline rush of fight-or-flight mode.

Even when there’s no real threat, you might unconsciously seek out situations to keep you amped up.

We’ve all done it.

Without self-awareness, it can become a “go-to” for temporary jolts of energy.

It becomes exhausting.
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Over the next few days, pay attention to where you invest your emotional energy.

• What puts you into high-energy emotions?
• How long do you stay in that state?
• Are these the things you truly want to spend your energy on?
  
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This awareness is the first step toward managing your emotional bank account more effectively.

Now, if only this driver in front of me could figure out HOW TO DRIVE!!

Oh, wait...