CARE: Correspondences for American Resistance and Endurance

Tapping into limitless energy is one of the holy grails of human existence.

To call such a thing a game-changer would be a wild understatement. And I’ve understood why that it and accepted the achievement as something that would be a miracle. Unless we do the most human thing and immediately harness that energy for profit and control of others. 

Over the past few months, though, I’ve come to understand and appreciate energy in a different way. Being so quick to burn through whatever energy stores I have, I’ve come to take the idea of personal energy conservation very seriously and personally.

Most days, I’m feeling pretty tapped by 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. With at least half the workday left at that point, I have to be strategic about what I choose to do and not do. And I have become aware of how much energy gets used for seemingly innocuous things throughout the day.

For example, standing at the front of the classroom to teach is something I do less of now. I often sit at the front of the room for instructional time, or I sit at my desk on days when I’m really drained. I don’t eat lunch with students as much as I’d like to. Most days, I need that time to just chill and brace myself for the afternoon. Most weekends, I’m not good for much, other than resting and trying to judiciously prep for the week ahead.

But that’s all fairly obvious stuff. When it comes to personal energy conservation, I have to be as mindful of my inner activity as I am of what’s going on externally. I’ve learned just how much of an energy drain it is to be around and get drawn into negative attitudes and gossip. That stuff is as likely to tire me out as going for a walk around the block. Inevitably, that stuff will tweak my anxiety, and anxiety is going to suck me dry, given the opportunity. 

Then there’s all the nastiness in the world these days. With the contents of Pandora’s Box being let loose in our government, it would be easy to just dwell on it all and just let my energy get tangled up in doomscrolling and despair. But that’s not just true for me. It’s true for all of us.

Each of us only has so much energy to get through each day. And if you’re a decent person who cares about others, who engages in controversial things like empathy and compassionate acts, all your energy can burn up before you’ve shifted from initial outrage to direct action.

We all need to be mindful of our energy stores and how we use them. Like the cliche says, this is a marathon, not a spring. If you’re chomping down on rage bait online and not letting it go, you’re going to be less effective when it’s time to do something actionable. If you’re spending your days getting caught up in petty bullshit, you’re going to be less than optimal when it’s time to work on something that really matters. 

Orange Julius and his Cabinet of Idiotic Curiosities are counting on their chaos to wear us down to the point where we give up. I see our personal energy stores as a key part of that plan. If we don’t have the energy to resist, we won’t. 

I heard somewhere that anger is just fear, wearing a sexy black dress. That makes sense. Anger is attractive because it’s easy. Anger is a lower brain function. The brain doesn’t have to work that hard to be angry. Which is why people who are angry all the time are angry all the time. It’s less work to be angry than it is to be productive and thoughtful and insightful. But anger still takes that precious energy.

There are plenty of precious resources in the world, but your personal energy supply is one of the most vital right now. Take good care of it. Be mindful of how you use it. And remember that there’s nothing wrong with taking breaks from the work that needs doing. As my counselor is fond of pointing out, you can’t take care of others if you haven’t taken care of yourself.

Has this all made sense? I don’t know. I’m pretty tired today, and this has all felt very … rambly. If that’s the case, I’m sorry. Hopefully the next one will be better.

Till then, take care, and much love.

RESIST!: This is something shared with me by one of my dearest friends, K. It connects back to Tuesday’s post and my thoughts on the best way to participate in active resistance. This comes from @fakeadultmom on Instagram and is an excellent resource on various ways to get involved. 

MUSIC: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott-Heron
The revolution will not be right back
After a message about a white tornado
White lightning, or white people
You will not have to worry about a dove in your bedroom
The tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl
The revolution will not go better with Coke
The revolution will not fight germs that may cause bad breath
The revolution will put you in the driver’s seat

POETRY: Letter 6 by Pavneet Singh
This has become of and not of; or we can only know
another’s pain from their verbal or physical action; or
you have to open your eyes before you can close them.
Read more

LAUGH: The Triumph of Comedy by Graham Clark
Graham Clark is one of my favorite comedians and one of the nicest people in the world. He and his best pal Dave Schumka host the weekly podcast, Stop Podcasting Yourself, which is always a treat. Enjoy this clip of him speaking at TEDx Vancouver a few years ago.