Energy drinks…

I love the Bulls, but I don’t drink Redbull. And I’m not exactly afraid of monsters, but I don’t drink Monster either. I do, however, love energy shots. And I’ve chugged two of them in the last 18 hours.

The first came in the form of a BTL practice last night. 29 up-and-coming leaders allowed me to soak up their energy for a couple hours. These young leaders are from a variety of businesses and industries, and come together every couple weeks to invest their time and energy in themselves and each other. Last night was my turn to stoke the fire.

I always gain as much as I give in these practices, and last night was no exception. I introduced them to all kinds of weird stuff; like writing, sharing, and listening. Trust me, the way we do it is weird. We studied a couple movie scenes, and saw a girl learned to blow her OWN horn and a man learn to sing his OWN song. I was staggered more than a couple times by this group’s observations. I was also moved by their honesty and transparency, especially considering they barely know one another. Their energy was flowing and I was bottling as much of it as I could.

This morning’s energy shot came in the form of a tour of my son’s school. Oakstone never fails to blow away anyone who visits. I’m there, if only for a minute or two, almost every day. Have been for over 10 years. Yet, it never gets old. The creativity, compassion and can-do attitudes of the 800 combined students and staff give me a beautiful boost of adrenalin every time.

Some how, the hours following my time spent with teams like these are ALWAYS my best, most productive hours.

Thank you, Dublin 29 and thank you, Oakstone 800, for sharing your energy. You boost me more than you know.