Do It and the Energy Will Come

"Do It and the Energy Will Come" by Joan Y. Edwards

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do the Thing and You’ll Get the Energy to Do the Thing.” To me his words translated into, “Do It and the Energy Will Come.” It was one of those “Wow” moments for me. I asked myself, “Is that true?” You might ask yourself the same question.

Remember the times your baby woke you up in the middle of the night. Somehow getting up and seeing to it that they were all right, gave you energy to complete that task before you went back to sleep.

What about the time you didn’t want to do the dishes, but you started on them. Pretty soon, the dishes were done, and your energy level had sparked.

What about working on your term papers the last few hours before they were due, you all of a sudden had the energy to do it. Why? At the time you may not have known. But you knew you had to get it done now or it wasn’t going to be done at all. Plus, each step you took gave you energy to do the next step, until you had the whole paper finished.

What about when you want to read a book on the craft of writing or a book on how to draw action figures, but you’re not in the mood. Start reading it and you’ll get in the mood. The energy will flow.

As a writer or illustrator, have you been saying, "I don't have the energy to do that." Try knocking down that excuse. Work on the article. Sketch that picture. Watch the energy flow to your mind and body.

Action is a mood buster. Test this theory for yourself. Accomplishment gives a great feeling of satisfaction. It makes the next step easier. Finishing three small things will give you energy to start a bigger project.

Empower yourself. Do it and the energy will come.