“How on Earth am I going to be able to manage all of this?”

That was my thought as I’ve been trying to sort out running my business from home while also having a newborn baby and 20-month old toddler running around.

My wife gave birth to our son two weeks ago.  It’s been such an intense time on every level:  literal, mental, emotional, and energetic.  I had to smile when I received a few emails wondering why I haven’t sent out a newsletter in a while.  Life has become very full. But now, I hope people understand.

The birth of my son, Sorya Sage, has brought with it many lessons and opportunities for growth.  In addition to fully supporting my clients and helping my wife to care for our two children under the age of 2, I’m also launching a new business endeavor providing energetic support and workshops for conscious organizations and companies.  (See www.elevatedcompany.com if you’d like to check it out.)  So how on earth am I going to be able to manage all of this?

“By expanding and elevating my energy in every area.”

That was the answer that immediately occurred to me.

To paraphrase Incubus, it’s now about “going beyond the heights of what I think I know.”

We’ve all heard that managing energy, not time, is our most valuable asset.  So how do I do this when both my time and energy is at a premium?  How can I produce results with the least amount of effort possible?

The exploration of that last question is the reason that I’ve been practicing Tai Chi Chuan for the last few years.  It’s been an enlightening experience to take the concepts of Emptiness, Void, and working with universal energy instead of my own and bring them into the physical.  It’s one thing for me to nod my head about working with flow of the universe and not against it.  It’s another thing toactually move that way.

What’s the least amount of effort required to take flight?

I’ve learned that in nature, animals don’t “think their way” into a situation.  They don’t strategize or “figure out the how” of getting off the ground.  They just do it.  They naturally take the path of least resistance, using their God-given talents and strengths to their benefit.

Here’s an awesome video I recently found of birds taking flight in slow motion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4uS7NL4tu8

While it may seem like these birds are flapping pretty hard, if you look closely, they jump and then at just the right moment, they bring their wings up to create the

maximum amount of lift.  Then they bring their wings down with full force as they lift their bodies up in a beautifully timed burst of synchronistic motion.

It’s not that flight doesn’t require some effort.  It certainly does.  But what is the least amount of effort required to get off the ground?

For us, when we need to flap and extend some effort, how can we time it just right?

We do it by listening first, giving us the intuitive knowing of the exact moment to strike (or flap) with minimum effort but maximum force.

Having a Different Measuring Stick

There are many ways for us to measure our success.  It’s easy to measure it in terms of money or results.  We can also measure it in Happiness.  Lately, it’s occurred to me that it’s pretty easy for me to sacrifice my personal happiness for the sake of my path.  But this doesn’t serve me.  After all, what is all of the success in the world worth without Joy?  So I’ve decided to ask myself a certain question each morning upon waking:  What would it take for my resonant being to be one of Joy? What would it take for me to be happy today?  And making sure I ask this question before I ask, “What do I need to do today?”.

I feel that letting Joy lead the way is one of the ways to get the timing right and work with the flow of the universe.

It’s certainly not by just “trying harder” to push the boulder up the hill.

My wish for you is that you find the right timing with all that you’re up to, that you’re able to sense when to flap, when to jump, and when to sit still.

May your flapping, or the energy that you exude, come back to you tenfold.

Blessings.

John Germain Leto

By the way, if you’d like to see a photo of my new little wise man, he’s right here: