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Hey Subscriber First Name, It was a very cold day in January in the early 90’s. My brother and I were watching Dad leave the house, he was heading off to work as normal. Walking across the icy pavement, he got out his car keys and unlocked the door, and sitting down he put the key into the ignition and turned it to start the engine. Nothing … he had a flat battery. Despite having fuel in the tank, 4 wheels ready to roll, and a steering wheel ready to turn … with no energy in the battery his car wouldn’t start … rendered useless. This is the same with people. Ask yourself this … what happens to you when your energy levels drop? There are many impacts; thinking can narrow, emotional resilience can weaken, confidence can suffer, things can even feel harder than they actually are. But what about your communication? … Energy in storytelling mattersIn my experience, both professionally and personally, what we communicate is shaped less by what we know, and far more by the energy that carries it. We are always storytelling, whether we intend to or not, and this is why energy matters so much. When energy dips, our storytelling suffers, and depending on the context that you are storytelling in, this can have unintended and significant consequences. So how can you avoid this and protect your energy, so what you communicate, particularly at work, can be heard as you intended it to be. 5 ways to protect your energy and storytelling impactNotice how your energy enters the room Before we speak, we are already storytelling. Our posture, expression, and presence communicate long before our words do. Notice how you arrive in conversations, are you rushed, open, guarded, calm. Small awareness here can subtly but powerfully shift how your message is received. Pay attention to pace before content When energy dips, we often respond by adding more words, explanation, and detail. But clarity rarely comes from speed, it comes from intention. Slowing your delivery down, even slightly, allows your energy to settle, giving people the chance to hear, and feel, what you say. Let images do some of the work They say a picture paints a thousand words, so when you struggling with energy, images can really help. When storytelling includes something people can visualise, energy transfers more naturally. Whether you’re sharing an idea, a challenge, or a direction, ask yourself whether someone can see what you mean. When they can, their understanding follows more easily. Protect your energy between moments of communication Energy isn’t only spent in meetings or presentations. It’s shaped in the spaces between them. Protecting small moments of space allows you to show up with more presence when it matters, rather than carrying fatigue into conversations without realising it. Reflect on the story you are currently living As I explored in my bestselling book on happiness, when your work, values, and energy are aligned, communication becomes simpler. So taking a moment to consider the story you are in, and making positive changes to better align it to what makes you happy, will give you a natural source of energy.
“ Energy is everything.” … Simon Alexander Ong
Energy sits behind everything we do, often shaping our actions and interactions more than we realise. When it comes to storytelling, and how we communicate with others, it’s worth giving ourselves permission to notice our energy … especially in the moments that matter. These five reflections aren’t about fixing anything or doing more, they’re simply an invitation to work with your natural energy. When it’s high, it can help you create positive impact, and when it’s lower, awareness alone can soften the impact and reduce unintended effects. Sometimes, just noticing … is enough. Next Month in The Allotment…We turn our attention to one humanities most shared fears, and what it really takes to face it… … Public Speaking.
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