It was the mid 1990’s. After an unsuccessful year of attempting to start a business consulting practice from scratch, I had decided to accept ‘let’s work together’ overtures from a distant acquaintance. The two of us were as different as night and day. She was ‘artsy,’ ‘touchy-feely,’ go with the flow. For her, all things fell into the category of experiential creativity. I was the MBA corporate ‘wonk’—structure, goals, Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), quality control, and results. She was the heart and I was the brain.
On this day, we were sitting in the office of one of her past clients, seeking new business. This prospective client held a senior government post in our locale. In the snap-judgment of my business mindset at that time, I had already decided this was going to be a waste of time.
Then! Suddenly! I became aware of myself in that moment! I was aware of my arms and legs and body language. I was aware of how the grimace and smugness on my face reflected the attitude of the thoughts and chatter in my brain. In that moment, it was startling to watch myself become aware of myself in ‘real time.’ And more startling to have the ability to objectively see the impact of my thoughts and actions upon others in that moment. It was as if I was sitting in a movie theater and watching myself on the screen.
I took a deep breath, releasing the tension in my body and mind. The physical body and the voice in my head literally shifted from closed/negative to open/positive positions. Witnessing in real time what happened next changed my life forever. In less than 60 seconds all the dynamics in the room made the same shift from closed to open as I had just done. Whatever I did—the energy I was projecting had shifted and undeniably influenced the others in the room with me. In that moment of self-awareness, in the midst of the interaction with others and my conscious choice to correct my own state of mind,this actionhad a direct and reciprocal impact upon others.
Since that experience, I have come to learn that energy does in fact follow thought. This energy comes from soul; its gifts are limitless. Soul is always available to us, always attempting to get our attention in that moment.