We all need energy, whether it’s to motivate us to get out of bed, to go about our daily tasks, play with our kids or pursue our careers. Energy is “the force that through the green fuse drives the flower”, as Dylan Thomas wrote.
I get my energy from many sources. I find inspiring, interesting and engaging people very energising. The sun energises me. I love to be in nature, and this always makes me feel energised. Exercise does the same thing, and my habit of meditating for 10 minutes a day also helps to fuel me for the day. Recently, I met an entrepreneur who was full of energy, and really got me fired up thinking about my business. The entrepreneur is Scott Harrison, founder of Charity: water. Charity: water brings clean and safe drinking water to developing countries, improving health, education, and opportunity – especially for women and children. It’s run differently to other charities, and Scott’s story is a good one. Scott went from being a hedonistic nightclub promoter to working on Mercyships as the expedition photographer, to setting up Charity: water. At age 28, he realised his life had no purpose and he reverted back to his religious upbringing, built around service. Charity: water was born from an idea he had whilst in Liberia with Mercyships, when he realised 52% of all diseases are caused by bad water and poor sanitation. In addition, 42% of UK population don’t give to charity because of a perceived lack of trust and transparency about where the money goes
Scott set up Charity: water to be 100% transparent; you can see where every penny goes, and he covers his overheads by fundraising from private individuals and wealthy families. This means every penny of our £1 given goes to creating clean water. He has already helped reduce 1% of the problem and he is far from finished.
What struck me about Scott is his clarity of vision. He has a very clear understanding of the problem he’s solving, and how he’s going to go about doing it. I left that talk feeling so energised that the following day I sat down to consider my purpose, particularly around business. I realised that I’d lost sight of my vision. I’d fallen into the detail of everyday life. I’d allowed my energy to be consumed by the small stuff. So, we refocused on our vision, which is to be the number one choice for personalised health, fitness and wellbeing in the UK. Once I refocused on this, I immediately felt a surge of energy. It was visible and physical.
Energy isn’t just what we get from food, it’s more esoteric than that. People can be energising – the way Scott was for me. Connecting with others, with ideas, learning and new stuff is all energising. Going into your discomfort zone is energising – check out this blog which talks more about that.
Connecting with your passions and your purpose should be your primary source of energy, and everything else follows on from that. Without that focus, you might be energised but it lacks direction. Find that why, reconnect with it and let that energy drive you forwards.
What’s your Health IQ?
If you’re reading this, you’re are probably in a reasonably senior position, running your own business or have a busy life running the home and juggling other responsibilities. Either way, you’re busy. The convergent pressures of work and family life have probably meant that the time you did have to spend on health and fitness has disappeared. Why not talk to us and see how we can help.
Leanne Spencer is an entrepreneur, coach, TEDx Speaker, author of Remove the Guesswork, and founder of Bodyshot Performance Limited. Bodyshot is a health and fitness consultancy that helps busy professionals get more energy by removing the guesswork around their health, fitness and nutrition. Visit www.bodyshotperformance.com or email [email protected] to register your interest in our services and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.