My fragile ego exposed?👇️

The room was dead silent.

You could hear a pin drop—the tension in the room mirrored my inner state: stretched thin, fragile and boiling over.

I was the venom character—the monster who came out to feast on his soul...

That client offended my ego.

My fragile ego.

That was the last straw that put me over the edge.

Like a hurt 8-year-old, when he said something I felt disrespected me, I lashed out.

It was the last day of the Mastermind I was hosting in Charlotte, NC. I was two and a half years into pushing hard to grow my previous business.

I knew no limits in that season.

Have you ever felt pushed over the edge?

My terrible response clearly showed I was in a bad place.

I had no awareness of my state. I lacked the emotional or mental capacity to handle that situation well. Captain obvious here.

I was in the red emotionally, physically and mentally.

It resulted in my ridiculous response and shutting down that profitable mastermind.

I ultimately apologized to that client and mended the relationship.

Not having a fundamental awareness of something crucial was costly.

My story is a prime example of the need to protect our energy.

I was all force and no flow, and that cost a lot.

This will help you... let’s go…

Everything you do requires energy.

To thrive in our work, we must manage energy.

Energy is the “Capacity to do work or cause change.”

Now consider your human elements: body, mind, and emotions.

Every decision. Every project. Conversation. Consideration. Skill acquisition…

…requires your energy.

With that in mind, it’s vital to…

1. Understand what gives you energy.

2. Understand what takes your energy.

Knowing this will put wind in your sails.

My 2018, 2021-22 near-death experiences (burnout) indicate I didn't know the above points. I gave my energy and attention to so many things that took.

[Anything coming to mind as you’re reading this?]

Keep on…

As a good steward, I endeavor to understand what gives and takes energy. Energy is a resource I have to manage well to work or cause change.

Take 5 minutes today to list one thing that gives you energy and one that drains it. Awareness is the first step to managing your energy effectively.

Here are a few quick basic examples.

Emotions:

• Gives: gratitude or joy from meaningful connections.

• Takes: Dwelling on negative thoughts.

Body:

• Gives: proper sleep, nutrition, red light therapy.

• Takes: little sleep, bad diet, too much alcohol.

Mind:

• Gives: working on what you love.

• Takes: information overload, overwhelm.

These are clear and simple examples.

If I'm "off," I need to reflect, become aware, and work towards consistent practice to stay in the "give" mode. My “flip out” is a dramatic example. I let things slowly drain me.

Your turn:

Take a second to reflect: Am I tolerating things that take from me? If so, what are they? Or am I intentional about the things that amp me up?

Do you feel excited, tired, energetic, sad, or overwhelmed?

Let that lead you.

Onward.

Reduce friction.

Friction is resistance. You create or allow friction. That requires your energy.

1. Awareness: Identify emotional, mental, and physical friction.

2. Simplify: Cut complexity—focus on what truly matters.

3. Adjust: Redirect energy away from resistance and toward flow.

Here's an example...

Back in 2018, burnt-out Chris had little to no boundaries in place...

I didn't communicate my expectations when I let clients have my cell. My un-communicated boundaries were crossed, and that was taken from me. I was mad during that exchange, which resulted in my lack of boundaries (friction) boiling over.

Then, My idea of reducing was shutting that business channel down and disappearing for a few months. An overcorrection?

Intentionally utilize your time.

In the information age, the amount of information is overwhelming. Time and attention are currency. We must protect it. To protect our time and attention is to protect our energy and reduce friction.

How?

1. Clarify your priorities. Work from intention. Ask what and why.

2. Set parameters for what you "let in." What do you give your time and attention to?

3. Audit your time and attention. I'm currently in the process.

Clarity reduces anxiety. Reducing the noise lowers overwhelm.

It's like giving our time and attention to things that are not our intention. We either stop or have to avoid them.

Reduce Friction, Reduce Overwhelm, CREATE Capacity

In 2018, from 21 to 22, I no longer had capacity. I felt friction and overwhelmed; worse, I didn't know it.

Capacity gives you space to feel, think, assess and adjust. It's a beautiful thing.

What’s one emotional, physical, or financial area you can declutter today to create more capacity?

Good Stewardship is about managing our resources (energy/time/attention, etc) well.

That’s it for today. I’m off to adjust for the “snowstorm” we’re getting in CLT.

Much love,

Chris