On my first day here in Japan my lady and I boarded one of the many,many trains which serve Tokyo to travel into downtown. At first I was kind of in amazement at all the people moving about, all in their work uniforms, looking at their electronic devices or reading. But very soon I started feeling claustrophobic and not at all like myself. By the time we got to our destination about 45 minutes later I felt like I was crawling out of my skin.
What I was experiencing was an energy drain on a huge scale. Our personal energy, our Mana, is what keeps us going, keeps us happy. The higher our Mana, the higher our capacity to think, act and be our very best. The hustle of the crowd, even my awareness that more people commit suicide in Tokyo than anywhere else on the planet had sucked me empty. I took the only step I knew would work; get to nature.
In this case nature was another busy street at the foot of a high-rise, but just getting outside, next to a tree was enough to re-center me, to get my balance back. The bonus was that there was a light rain falling too, so that worked in my favor.
Rather than striking out at co-workers and loved ones when your energy is depleted, regain your balance by getting outside as best you can. Even the smoggiest air and most scraggly tree can help you regain your balance and continue your work. Then you can learn to recognize the energy drain as it occurs and take steps to regain your balance. Read about this in It’s All About Me.
