man with flexed muscles and a big heart
Image of man by Schäferle. Image of diamond heart by Biju Toha.


Written and Narrated by Marie T. Russell.

Watch video version here.

We often think our strength comes from physical things like exercise, food, vitamins, and maybe even coffee. Yet is that really the case? Does our strength perhaps also come from the inside... from our attitudes, our beliefs, our moods. Those may have more affect on our strength than the things we do and ingest.

There are cases of people eating poison, or being exposed to life-threatening diseases and devastation, and they are not affected. So, clearly the externals are not what kept them safe, but perhaps their internals... their attitude and beliefs. Our strength can also be diminished from the same sources... from the inside. 

So ask yourself... What is affecting my strength? And am I feeding or draining my strength, from the inside, right now? When we reside in a balanced state of joy, love, and acceptance of others, we are much stronger than when we come from an unbalanced place of misery, hatred, and of criticizing everything and everyone. 

Where is my joy?

Our strength is fed by various things... One of these is joy. When we are filled with joy, we have more strength to face whatever comes our way. On the other hand, when we are sad or depressed, we are weak. Our energy is drained by the downward spiral of our attitudes and emotions.

Joy is an upward energy... It raises us up, it makes us feel light, it makes us feel invincible. And in those feelings resides our strength. Sadness, depression, boredom, all of these drain our energy. Joy refills the bucket.

Find those things that bring you joy... whether it is a child laughing, a favorite pet or person, a walk in nature, or maybe even a favorite song or movie. Bring back to your awareness those times when you felt joy, and bring that joyful feeling back into your present moment.

Throughout the day, remember to look for moments of joy... and if you don't find any, then create them or remember some previous times when you experienced joy.

What am I feeling?

At times, we may feel lethargic because of our feelings or moods. And if we don't address what's going on with our feelings, we just end up low on energy and tired all the time.

But if we tune in to the feelings that are churning around inside of us, and that are causing us to feel lethargic or tired or down in the dumps, then we can remedy the situation. Once we are aware of our mood and its cause, then we can choose to do something about it, starting first with our choice of attitude.

So the next time you feel like your strength is non-existent and you just don't feel like doing anything, ask yourself "What am I feeling?" Pay attention to what you're feeling and think back to when it started. Then tune in to what the message is... This will give you the necessary information to stop the drain on your energy. This will allow you to change your mind, and your attitude, about what's going on (and thus your mood). Your batteries will be able to recharge automatically once they are fed positively-charged emotions. 

What is the opportunity?

There is always a way to enhance our experience of life. If we keep our eyes and ears (and all of our senses) open, we will be guided to new opportunities.

Maybe you're feeling down and a thought of a specific friend crosses your mind? Go ahead and take the opportunity to contact them, or even just to pause and think about them and remember how you love them and how they make your life better just by being in it. Or maybe you notice someone who looks tired and sad... Take the opportunity to do something for them, even if it is just wishing them a good day with love and compassion in your heart.

All the opportunities we take will help to increase our own strength and well-being. The more we follow the guidance of our heart, the more joyful and blessed our experience of life will be. Don't let opportunities pass you by. They are there for a purpose... both for you and for the other people your actions will touch.

What am I expecting?

Our expectations can weaken us and drain us, or they can empower us. The choice lies in what we focus on. It is easy to focus on the negative, on all the doom and gloom we hear about in the world. I'm not saying we need to ignore these things, but rather that we need to see both sides of every situation and expect things to get better.

We need to look for the silver linings in all the challenges. The best way to keep ourselves centered and strong is to keep our focus on gratitude for the good that is present, as well as gratitude that things can get better.

Each situation has a seed of good in it. It is up to us to find it and to help it grow. So, we need to be aware throughout the day of what we are expecting... and if it does not match up with the reality we would like to see manifest, we then can change our expectations to better ones. And then, take actions to make those come true.

What inspires me?

If we keep tuning in to the things that depress us, that sadden us, then we will find what lies at the end of that choice. However, we will find happiness when we tune in to those things that inspire us and when we live our life guided by our inspiration. 

Whatever inspires us brings us clarity and strength. Whatever inspires us brings us joy and well-being. 

So, here's something to reflect upon...what inspires you? And how can you bring more of that into your life?

How can I express myself?

Being our true self, our original loving self, is the way to regain our power, our strength, our purpose, our joy.

We can do this by learning to connect with the inner silence and learning to listen to our own inner guidance. This is how we will empower our true self and learn to live our purpose with joy and love in our heart. 

Our strength does not lie in other people's opinions or directives. Our strength lies in our own truth, our own vision, our own being. Learning to express our true loving self is the way to create a better world for ourselves and for all.

Article inspired from: Inquiry Cards

Inquiry Cards: 48-card Deck, Guidebook and Stand
by Sylvia Nibley  (Author), Jim Hayes (Artist)

cover art for Inquiry Cards: 48-card Deck, Guidebook and Stand by Sylvia Nibley  (Author), Jim Hayes (Artist)The deck that asks YOU the questions… because the answers…are INside you! A new kind of meditation tool. A delightful game to engage family, friends and clients in new ways.

We humans have a habit of looking OUTside ourselves. Especially for the big things, like love and power and answers to our most challenging questions. And that gets us into all kinds of trouble. The purpose of this deck is to turn that around and practice looking INside ourselves for answers, and in the process, train the mind to ask better questions.

Info/Order this card deck.

More Inspirational Card Decks 

About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.

Creative Commons 3.0: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License. Attribute the author: Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com. Link back to the article: This article originally appeared on InnerSelf.com