The Thing That Matters More Than Status, Power, and Money
Jerry Seinfeld called our mental and physical energy the ‘greatest riches of human life’
When I’m low on energy, I start to feel “off.” Even the best things in my life don’t bring me joy. I start to wonder if something is wrong with my brain or my situation or the people around me. That’s when I know I need to recharge.
Energy matters more than status, power, and even money. When I’m running low, I often think of a quote from Jerry Seinfeld, who has plenty of all of those things, “I think money is great. But physical and mental energy are the greatest riches of human life.”
Seinfeld has also said that he gets the most satisfaction from doing good work. And that, of course, requires energy. Lately, I’ve been doing research on personal energy, reading books such as The Power of Full Engagement and Flow by Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr, and analyzing what makes people most productive.
What I’ve found is there are three types of energy:
Mental energy: Your ability to concentrate, focus, work, pay attention, listen, and engage.
