What the lotus flower taught me about life and some experiments to embody the lesson - January '24

I noticed someone on my Instagram feed recently who was full of excitement and energy.

I got jealous.

I wanted that level of excitement and energy but hadn't noticed the lack of it showing up for me in the last few weeks.

It's easy to get defeated when you see other people having something you want but! Don't let jealousy win. Use the energy towards a positive future.

Emotions like jealousy, in my mind, are the dark side of the yin yang symbol - not good or bad but they feel a bit more uncomfortable.

These emotions like jealousy, frustration and anger show up without much effort!

Most of the time it's when 'the moment in front of you is different than you want' or just when your physiology is in a sympathetic, stressed/survival state.

The opposite emotions, the bright side of the symbol, are those emotions I believe you have to create and cultivate.

I believe being alive is about being as open to life as possible.

Think of it like expanding the yin yang circle as much as we can while we're alive.

To me, the more energy and bright-side emotions I choose to experience, the more my life will stretch and feel full.

Dying is the opposite - a closing down of each of our senses.

A reduction in energy, what we can see, hear, taste, smell and feel.

Life, like a lotus flower, is about the choice to bloom, even out of muddy dark waters.

So I got curious today and reflected on some mini experiments I can do this month to increase my excitement and energy.

First some simple mental models I got from Tony Robbins that are helpful to keep in mind to show you how I think about and solve this:

• State - Story - Strategy: Change your state, the story you tell about the situation then change what you do, the strategy.
• Your state is made up of your physiology, language, focus and meaning. Physiology is current state for your body e.g. how much stress is in your system, are you hydrated, rested etc. but also how you move physically, how you breathe, what your posture is like etc. Language are the words you use, focus is where you attention is and meaning is the story you tell about where your attention is.

It will be clear from both of these models that I'm focusing on changing my physiology first to increase my excitement/energy.

To do this, everyday I'll test doing the below:

1. Wim Hof type breathing in the morning - this will add energy to my body through breathing in deeply I'll take in more oxygen.
2. Some form of bio-energetic movement like shaking or dancing throughout the day.
3. Increase water intake.
4. Move everyday - walking Elvis, gym and hill sprints on a Sunday.
5. Sauna and steam room x4

This might seem like a lot but I'm only introducing 1, 2 and 3. The others I'm already doing.

For the FOCUS part of my state, I'll:

• Choose to set some intentions and goals for the month ahead that improve my day to day life. (Most people forget we live in one day increments - improving the things you do day to day will make the biggest difference over time)
• I'll focus on the things and people I have in life, not what I don't have.
• I'll focus on when I notice excitement showing up - who I'm with / what I'm doing - so I can recreate it more often.

Change the MEANING of what it means to have higher levels of energy & excitement:

• It's not "too much" to be high energy as I used to think.
• I'm increasing the range of life I'm experiencing and bringing energy to other people around me.
• Expanding into life means expanding not just my ability to encounter resistance/dark but also expanding the light/bright side of life.

Life is meant to be experienced fully.

Open to life - bright and dark.

Onwards.