The Energy Bus - Rule #7

Enthusiasm Attracts More Passengers and Energizes Them During the Ride

"Emotions...they can lift you up or bring you down.  We like to say that E-motion stands for energy in motion and your emotional state is all about how the energy is flowing through you" (page 95).

What an interesting rule!  In a book that is about success in our personal and professional lives, I think that it's great to talk about our emotions.  I believe that the word emotion has gotten a bad rep over the years as something that is negative and unnecessary in many arenas of life.  However, emotions play such a large role in the majority of decisions that people make; determines the mood that we're in; often shapes the environment around us.  Enthusiasm is an emotion!  Emotions can fuel us in a positive way or a negative way.

"So instead of letting negative emotions take you down a dark road of negativity, sadness and despair we can take control of our emotions, charge ourselves up, and let the positive energy flow" (page 95).

So, what Jon Gordon is saying is that having our emotions in line assist in allowing positive energy in our lives?  YES!  If you're in a bad mood, you're not going to be fueling up your bus with positive energy or focusing on the goals that you're working towards.  We can't allow our emotions to run our bus off the road.  It is important to have an understanding of the power of our emotions and so that we channel them correctly every day for the benefit of ourselves and all of those that are riding the bus.


Leading With Heart

I stated in an earlier blog that all of us are in a position of authority in some capacity or another -- at work, at school, at church, in our parenting.  So, reading and learning about leadership should be something that everyone does because at one point or another, leadership will be a part of our lives.  Leading with enthusiasm and leading with heart is vitally important.

"The heart is your power center.  It's where contagious positive leadership comes from and the more open, powerful, and positive it is the more powerful you are" (page 100).

Positive energy, emotions and enthusiasm comes from the heart.  For we Christians, we've been taught that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.  So, everything -- both good and bad -- comes from the heart.  Wouldn't you want to make sure that everything that's kept in your power center be the correct fuel for optimal success?  I know that I would!!


CEO

Jon Gordon states that we must be the CEO's of our own lives -- Chief Energy Officer.  We must settle in our minds that we are going to successfully manage the energy flowing in and through us and that we will also manage the energy of our bus.  CEO's of successful companies work hard to create an environment that is filled with positivity and productivity.  What Gordon is instructing us to do is to adopt this same CEO mentality towards our lives.

"Chief Energy Officers live and work with enthusiasm...they tap the power of their heart by getting excited about being alive, by filling up with loads of positive energy, and by being optimistic about life and work...they charge forward with positive and powerful energy and look at challenges...as an opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed" (pages 107-108).

So...I guess the question is this...are you ready for your promotion to CEO?  Then let enthusiasm take over and let it energize you and those on board your bus!