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🔥EMOTION

💥E-motion

🌪Energy in motion

How many times have you heard a sports coach or commentator announce:

• You can feel the energy of the crowd

• That player is playing with a ton of energy

• The team is on the same wavelength

• It feels electric in the arena

Or how many times has someone drained the life out of you?
Or have you ever felt the tension in the room?

Or how many times has someone’s sheer presence alone lifted your spirits?!
Who, in your life, energizes you?!

The above is me paraphrasing from one of my favorite books, The Energy Bus, which I also listed in the newsletter 5 weeks ago as one of my favorite books along with 6 others— so you know I’m not lying about it being one of my favs!

Last week, the battery in my truck died.

I was able to get a jump and head over to Advanced Auto Parts on 7th St on the Eastside of Austin where I was going to meet a “Mobile Mechanic”, whom my wife and I have used before, so he could install my new battery.

Don’t get me started on why I didn’t just install it myself.

As I pull into AAP on 7th, my phone dies.

The mechanic told me he’d be there in 45 min, it took me 15 so I had a 30 min wait.

I think to myself: “Leave your truck running just in case something pops up and the mechanic can’t make it and you can’t get it started again and he can’t contact you because your phone is dead. Nah, he’ll show, and besides, even if he doesn’t they have a portable battery charger inside that’ll get you going again. Plus you’ll be able to charge your phone in there to call the wife if need be(I had a charger). Etc etc”

So I shut her off.

I go inside:

• Homeboy won’t let me use any plugs or outlets to charge my phone.

• He also won’t let me use their phone.

• He also tells me their battery charger isn’t charged so he can’t (won't) jump me.

This kid’s energy was pathetic. Every time I asked him a question, he spoke to me as if, “How dare I ask him to do any work or be helpful in any way”, with as little words as he could possibly mutter out.

Prior to my interaction with him, despite my truck problems, I was having a great day. Picked up another client, crushed a great workout, and trained 6 athletes. I gotta say, “Today was a good day”.

His energy, or lack thereof, then had me walking out to my truck, sitting there like this little girl directly above us. Put me in a FOUL mood.

I’m sitting there in my truck, trying to make sense of this lazy, disrespectful, rude, inconsiderate, punk ass kid.

I honestly wanted to just know what it was about me that triggered whatever it was inside him that prompted him to show me absolutely zero customer service and even less help. I was stranded, no working vehicle, no working phone, and he gave zero Fs. I was fully prepared, along with being ready and willing to then match his energy and take it wherever it would take us.

I saw him interact with 2 other customers and was laughing and joking with them, no problem.

So clearly it was something about me and I was about to head back in to find out what.

But then, by the grace of God, through the trees, across the street, I see the small corner of a logo that looks to be an AutoZone logo.

I grab my stuff and head straight over.

Was helped immediately! The young man working there walked all the way across the street with their battery charger, jumped me, and offered to install my new battery, no problem, no cost— “I got you bro”.

Stanley was his name and calming me all the way down was his game— just by simply being him!

His energy, his vibes, brought me all the way back down to earth. Calmed me, energized me! He also apologized for my experience at AAP, shaking his head at their behavior— “Yeah, they’re dicks over there bro”.

They also let me charge my phone behind the counter and let me stand behind the counter to call my wife using their store phone. The customer service, the energy from store to store was night and day, y’all.

Stanley was the man! I tipped him all the cash I had on me ($35ish) and bought him a couple of Arizona Tea’s. God bless that kid.

If you ever need help with car parts, DO NOT go to Advanced Auto Parts, instead go to AutoZone off of 7th st over on the Eastside of Austin.

This whole interaction, with both stores, from start to finish, took a whopping 3-4 hours. No matter how inconvenient that whole ordeal was, Stanley had me heading back home to my family with a smile on my face, grateful.

That quick ride home had me thinking about The Energy Bus and how true it is that everything is energy. I’ve had certain clients who sucked the life out of me with their constant negativity day in and day out. With these folks I have to mentally prepare myself so I don't allow it to effect my day and my energy with the rest of my clients.

Then there are clients— the vast majority of them— who energize me, too!

Are you aware of your vibes? Your energy? When you walk in a room do people gravitate towards you or do they avoid you like someone coughing in an enclosed area since COVID?

Go read The Energy Bus y’all, it’ll help you become a light in the darkness for others! Which is especially important right now as the holiday season rapidly approaches!

Thanks for reading, I’m grateful for you!

And please never forget:

Yes, the holidays are upon us...
There's going to be traffic, flights will be delayed, and you will have to wait in lines, lots and lots of lines. 

• I always try to be grateful the traffic wasn't caused due to a car crash which involved me or my family.

• I always try to be grateful the airport staff is taking their time to ensure my plane doesn't crash.

• I always attempt to be grateful to be in line shopping for my loved ones. I'm grateful I have them to shop for. So many don't, and are celebrating these holidays alone.

“The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectation… AHH! Well those are pretty good days” - Song writing genius and country music legend, Ray Wylie Hubbard

Much love, mi gente!

- Mike O’Hara

PS

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