I remember one day I wanted my dad to play a video game with me, but he was busy. I got really frustrated and started running back and forth around the living room. My dad looked at me and asked, “Why are you running around like that?”
I crossed my arms and said, “Because I have all this energy, and I don’t know what to do with it!”
He smiled and put down what he was working on. Then he asked me a question I never forgot.
“Do you think your energy is controlling you, or are you controlling your energy?”
At first, I didn’t understand what he meant. I told him, “My energy is controlling me, I guess.”
He nodded and said, “That happens to everyone sometimes. But one of the most important things you can learn is how to direct your energy instead of letting it direct you.”
Then he suggested we go outside and shoot some basketballs for fifteen minutes. We didn’t play my video game, but we spent time together. By the time we came back inside, I felt calmer and happier.
Years later, I realized my dad wasn’t just talking about being hyper. He was talking about emotions too—anger, excitement, frustration, and even fear. Those feelings can push us around if we let them.
Whenever I feel overwhelmed now, I remember his question: “Are you controlling your energy, or is it controlling you?”
It’s a simple question, but it has helped me more times than I can count.
