The Power of Core Energy: Transforming Stress into Success

What happens when you stop obsessing over perfection and start focusing on who you want to be in the moment? In this article I will show you how I made this shift and elevated my performance.

A person can become more conscious by becoming more aware of and knowledgeable about their own perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. And the first step in all of this is grasping the notion of "energy."

Core energy is the force that drives your feelings, ideas, and behaviors. It alters your perception of the world, other people, and oneself. Your overall performance in life is mostly dependent on your core energy.

There are two kinds of core energy, catabolic and anabolic.

Catabolic energy tears things down and is destructive; it is typically linked to stress. Stressful situations cause your body to release catabolic chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline, which cause your body's tissues and cells to break down. Stress can help you succeed in the short term, but it can have a negative long-term effect on your happiness and contentment. Stress distorts your ability to clearly see a situation, making it difficult to perceive things from a wider angle and to recognize your options.

Anabolic energy, on the other hand, is a positive force that is linked to lower levels of stress. Your body releases anabolic hormones that enhance your systems when your mind is not stressed. This helps you become more aware of the situation, to concentrate on finding answers, and to unleash your creativity.

Within these broad categories, there are seven different levels of core energy. The higher the level, the more anabolic energy is present which leads to a greater chance of success.

Albert Einstein once said, "No problem can be solved from the same level of thinking that created it." People often follow the same habits until new awareness disrupts their perspective.

Our behavior often follows the Thought-Feeling-Action model. Our thoughts influence our feelings, which drive our actions, and our actions generate results. By changing our thoughts, we can change our results.

Let me illustrate this with a personal example.

I joined a local chapter of Toastmasters serval months ago. When I prepared for my Ice Breaker speech, the first speech every new member of Toastmasters gives, I was overwhelmed by anxiety. I wanted the speech to be perfect, and believed that meant memorizing every word, having flawless stage presence, and controlling every variable. Every time I practiced the speech, I struggled to get it just right.

In fact, the more I practiced the more my anxiety consumed me. I was trapped in a performance mindset, fueled by ego and self-judgment.

On the day of the speech, I had a coaching session, which was a game-changer. My coach helped create awareness that my actions were not aligned with my goals for this speech. She helped me shift from a focus on "perfection" to focusing on my actual goals of connecting with and inspiring the audience.

When I accepted where I was, at that moment, I made a choice to change my approach. When focused on connecting with the audience, I was more aligned with my goals and with my authentic self, and my anxiety started to fade.

This shift represented higher anabolic energy and a higher level of consciousness. I was more aware of who I wanted to be when giving the speech rather than what I had to do. Being my authentic self and telling my story was much easier than being perfect. I believed that even with imperfections, if I could inspire just one person, I would be successful. I made the conscious choice to show up differently when giving my speech.

My speech wasn’t perfect, and that’s ok, because this shift in consciousness allowed me to connect with the audience at a meaningful level. As a result, the act of giving my speech, (the “doing”) was easier, and my performance improved. 

Let me emphasize this point… when you stop worrying about your performance and just focus on who you want to be in that moment, your performance gets better anyways!

At the end of my speech, one person approached me and said I had inspired her to be more authentic and vulnerable in her own speaking. Goal achieved.

My story illustrates that raising your consciousness increases your awareness of who you are. It allows you to consciously choose who you want to be, rather than making unconscious decisions based on past experiences and old habits. Choice empowers you to shape your future, and that's why living a highly conscious life is transformational.

This post contains my interpretation of the copyrighted work of Bruce D Schneider and the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC).