What makes us happy?
A question we receive relatively often is what gives us energy. We put a lot of energy into other people, but where do we get energy from?
The answer to that is difficult: we get a lot of energy when we see that the energy we have put into other people has given them energy to move on in their lives.
In other words, to get energy from others, we must first invest that energy in others.
And not all the energy we invest in others “returns”. Sometimes we put a lot of energy into something and nothing comes out of it. Or even worse… That doesn’t make us happy, on the contrary…
And sometimes we put relatively little energy into something and the energy that comes out is enormous! That makes us very happy, it makes our day!
Just one small problem, we never (!) know in advance whether a project will be a “eater” or a “giver”. The “sport” therefore remains to keep a close eye on the balance of investment and return. That remains a discussion on this side at least once a week. How much energy do we have left and do we tackle this project, or is there no more energy and do we not expand, do we not tackle a new project this week but wait for a while?
Once a project has been started, we cannot simply stop it because we no longer have the energy. This also means that we have to keep space if a project suddenly turns out to be disappointing and requires a LOT of energy. That space must be there. And then there is the reality of every day: a day never, ever goes the way we planned it. Something always changes. In the Netherlands it is all more structured, in practice on this side it is a lot less so. People suddenly show up on the doorstep, appointments are suddenly cancelled, “we arrive an hour later”, I’m coming alone today and my partner isn’t coming (or vice versa), are you at home because I have something for you, do you have x for me so i can pick it up, and so on and on and on. Every, single, day. And yes, that also continues during the “weekends”. (which we don’t have, but that’s another topic)
In other words, to get energy we have to invest energy and, above all, monitor the balance between “spending” and “getting”. And that alone takes energy…
It is and remains a very exciting balance every day, but it makes us so happy and gives us such energy!
And yes… sometimes we also “pull the plug” and really get away for a while. To refuel. Nothing for a while. Doing nothing also gives energy and is sometimes necessary. An environment without noise, without a doorbell, without a telephone, without anything for a while.
Did that sound complicated? Then you read it right because that’s what it is. 🙂
