Recently, I brought a contractor into my home to redo the “under the cabinet” lighting in my kitchen. While he was rewiring and reinstalling, it was the perfect opportunity to switch out the old halogen light bulbs for LED replacements. Well over a decade ago, halogen lighting was the big thing and was considered a much better option than traditional incandescent bulbs. Now, almost 20 years later, LED is definitely the way to go. I wasn’t surprised by the higher cost of the bulbs...we have heard a lot about that in the news over the past several years. What did come as a revelation was the many options that LED lighting affords you. I never imagined that I could have color-changing lights in my kitchen! My contractor’s enthusiasm was contagious as he demonstrated how I could bathe my kitchen in green light for St. Patrick’s Day, red for Valentine’s and Christmas, and blue when I want to create a spa-like atmosphere in my home! As if the kaleidoscope of colors wasn’t enough, the light from the LED bulbs appeared brighter, warmer and crisper. We were also told that our new bulbs come with many benefits - they are low heat which makes them safer, they last way longer (50,000 hours!) and consume far less energy than halogen or incandescents, they produce little to no UV radiation, contain no fragile filaments and have no gases or toxic elements! Are you as surprised as I am that I now know so much about LED light bulbs? The big take-away for me is that it takes 80% less energy to produce the same level of light from my new bulbs! I finally feel like I am doing my part to save the planet.
My recent immersion into the world of lighting got me thinking about my own personal energy and that of my students and clients. As a Health Coach and Qi Gong Instructor, I spend a lot of time talking about ways to increase energy, have more power and strength, working smarter not harder, and finding something that you are passionate about that will light you up.
When I started my new career, I realized that I was working more hours than when I was employed full-time by NYS. My husband recently noticed that I am now working seven days a week since I teach classes and see clients on the weekends as well as Monday through Friday. I should be exhausted, running on empty, and feeling overworked. Instead, I am more energized than ever, wake up filled with pride and excitement for my students and clients, and never find myself looking at the clock and tracking the number of hours I am working. I know this is because I found something I am passionate about, I am energized by all of the new things I am learning each day, and am fueled knowing that my work has a purpose. My work makes me feel as bright and clear as my new kitchen lighting system!
What powers your light bulb? Have you found something that gives you energy rather than depletes it? It is not always an option to switch from one career to another in order to get re-energized. This means that your purpose and passion may have to be derived from the “work” that you are doing beyond the hours of 9 to 5. I love when I see people who are excited about the time they spend volunteering at the airport, a museum or a food shelter. They are lit up by the work they are doing and their lives are book-ended with passion and purpose...a reason to get up in the morning and to sleep restfully at night.They replaced the “incandescent bulb” part of their lives, which at most had only a 10% energy output, with something that keeps them ignited and fulfilled. Just like the old lighting that served its purpose in our lives for many years but produced heat that was effectively wasted, we need to switch out the old for a bright new replacement.
We cannot have a complete conversation about light bulbs without mentioning its inventor, Thomas A. Edison. We all remember his name from elementary school but we may not recall his back story. Before Edison left school to be home-schooled by his mother, he was told by his teachers that he was "too stupid to learn anything." Edison was actually fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive”, yet he went on to start 14 different companies, one of which was General Electric which is still one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world. Edison was a prolific inventor with over 1,000 patents to his name, yet he made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked him, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps." My advice to you is that when you think about what powers your light bulb, be inspired by the brilliance, tenacity and positivity of the man who invented them!