How can I channel all my energy?

Reflections on Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

Many people have told me that I am ‘the most energetic person they’ve ever met.’  I’m honoured to have enthusiasm/positivity/optimism that is worth pausing for compliments. But sometimes, and especially in the last few years, I have been wrestling with how to channel my energy. 

I know the high spirits I have are a gift. But I don’t know how to leverage my energy in a world of too many possibilities. Especially as I graduate university in 4 months and need to make some kind of living; I’m trying to merge my ‘talent’ and my life’s sustenance. (This is hard because it’s not obvious, and doesn’t exist as a job description). 

Long-story short I tried to craft a 5 year vision to then reverse-engineer from. This top-down method is just too… methodical?... for my personality. The world will have things I can’t fathom in 5 years and I want to be part of that innovation. Still, I tried to open my horizons to at least define some direction for the next year. I’m thinking about it as my next best guess instead of my life’s work. 

I recently read a post about unfolding life. Living an unfolding life iterates on reality: to do more of what makes you feel alive and less of what doesn’t.

“The opposite of an unfolding is a vision. A vision springs, not from a careful understanding of a context, but from a fantasy: if you could just make it into another context your problems will go away.” - Article

Given how unnatural this framework is for me (I’m a big enjoyer of fantasies), I’m giving it an intentional thought as an antidote to my normal patterns. Designing from the cards I have instead of wishing for hypothetical and optimal ones. 

I’m now trying to unfold my central question: how can I channel my ‘exceptional’ energy? I’ve been journaling everyday for the last 100 days to explore this explicitly and implicitly. I still don’t have a crisp answer. But I did accidentally read a book that gave me a profound sense of resonance.