Jon Gordon: the energy addict

This is the fourth in a series of seminar notes that I’m blogging: good talks I attended while at NAESP in San Antonio.

Before I begin this one, here are all four:

1. Eric Cupp: touching hearts, changing minds
2. Christine Todd Whitman: on leadership
3. Jon Gordon: the energy addict
4. Glenda Hatchett: a promise to keep

Jon Gordon is an author, presenter, and self-described “energy addict.” I attended his session at NAESP, liked almost all of it, and took these notes:

About energy and negativity
Positive people live longer, healthier, happier lives.

On walking the talk
Quote from St. Francis of Assisi: “No use walking anywhere to preach unless you walk what you preach.”

About busy people
You feel like energy vending machines. People who come up to you have lots of quarters, and they use them. Do you feel out of stock?

About health and energy
It’s mostly a matter of choices: drink water, get lots of sleep. Eat stuff made from plants, not inplants. Walk every day. Breathe deeply. Sit up straight.

He mentions the Heart Math organization, where he gets a lot of his research and ideas from.

Practice breathing and silence every day.

On choosing positive energy over negative energy
Story: a man with went to the village wise man and told him that he had two dogs inside, a positive one and a negative one. “They’re always fighting, and I don’t know which one will win,” he said. The wise man said: “Feed the positive dog.”

How?

1. Thoughts are magnetic …. stop thinking about what you don’t want, have, or do.
2. Project the energy you want to receive (who do you like to hang around with: energetic, happy people, or negative, downer people?)
3. Visualize 10 minutes every day: what you want to accomplish

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” (Ghandi)

Jon tells the story of a cab driver, George, who was irrespressibly cheerful. He happened to be in a bad mood that day, and didn’t appreciate it, but the driver kept smiling and making happy comments. Finally, Jon asked him why.

The man replied: “I love you.” Jon was wondering kind of nutcase he was, but then he continued. “God loves you and He made you and He made the world, and since He loves you, I love you. My job is not to drive a cab, my job is to make people’s days.”

On leadership

1. Your energy must be greater than other’s doubt and negativity.
2. Ask people to get onside: get “on your bus.”
3. Don’t waste time or energy on the people who don’t get on the bus.
4. Avoid “energy vampires.” Don’t let them get you down.
   As Ghandi said: “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet.”

5. Remember that where there is a void, negativity will fill it.

10 things to do to have more energy

1. Smile
   Increases endorphins in both you and others who see you.

2. Laugh
   Laughter is a major antidepressant – Jon talks about a study of depressed people who were basically forced to laugh several times a day. Most of them were able to go off their antidepressant medication.

3. Be grateful
   It’s impossible to be miserable and grateful at the same time.

4. Charge up your emotions
   Recharge from time to time. Take a day off.

5. Go to be a success every night
   Keep a positive journal … make a note before going to bed of a few good things that happened that day. Focus on what is successful and good in your life, not on what is negative and failing.

6. Remember your greatest moment
   What is your greatest moment? The birth of a child? A doctor’s announcement that your cancer is in remission? Remember it, savor it, bring it back to mind.

7. Drive with enthusiasm
   George, the cab driver, said “I love life.” Do you?

8. Love your passengers
   Appreciate those on the bus of life with you.

9. Enjoy the ride
   You have to be having fun. If not, change something

Other tidbits
What he tells his kids when they complain: remember, kids, we’re winners, not whiners.

Eye contact when talking: women like 10-12 seconds, men only 2-3 seconds. More than that and men will think you’re challenging them.

Negativity has one good use: finding out what we don’t want.

What old people wish they had done more of
Researchers did a study of 95-year-olds and asked them what they would do differently if they could go back and do it all again.

Here’s what they said:

1. Reflect more – take more time for thought and contemplation
2. Take more chances
3. Do something to leave a legacy beyond their lives

Now you have a chance to change something – before you’re 95 years old. What sould you change?