The Match | Energy
Word: Energy
Sentence:
Energy is the bond that keeps us connected, and the force that keeps us going.
Passage:
Leaders hold a quiet power in the energy they give off and the energy they receive. And when fall turns to winter, it’s harder to bring the same level of presence you had earlier in the year. The stretch between Thanksgiving and winter break is its own emotional season. Joy, grief, memory, pressure and all of it comes at once.
Six years ago, I lost one of my childhood best friends. His absence taught me something I didn’t understand before: I have a choice in what I bring into the world each day. The grief created a connection to him that I didn’t fully feel when he was alive. Remembering him pushes me to show up for the people I care about, to give time and attention to the relationships I’m thankful for.
And that’s the thing about energy, it’s shared.
People feed off the connection we make with them, and we feed off theirs. Even when we’re tired, those small moments can spark something inside us.
The quick check-in.
The smile in the hallway.
The “How are you, really?” conversation.
These moments don’t drain us, they refuel us.
Scientifically, energy is the ability to do work or create change. It can’t be created or destroyed, only transferred. I don’t think that’s far off from how it works in leadership. Our energy shifts through the people we’re connected to. And in our hardest, most exhausting seasons, that shared energy becomes the bond that keeps us moving forward.
Your Turn:
Whose energy are you carrying with you, and how will you pass it on?
Keep your fire lit this week!
8 Comments
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8 Comments
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on November 29, 2025 at 4:40 pm
Every week, The Match resonates with me. This week was particularly insightful and helpful. This year, one of my best friends passed away suddenly. I was thinking about him today, and, serendipitously, your post came to my inbox. I plan to continue to share his energy and mine through kindness, thoughtfulness, and connecting others to do good deeds. He was thankful for the simple, yet powerful things in life. Thanks for sharing The Match!
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on November 29, 2025 at 5:02 pm
Thank you for sharing this Syed. I’m so sorry for your loss. When someone we love passes suddenly, the way we carry their energy becomes part of how we move through the world. The fact that he valued the simple, powerful things in life says a lot about who he was, and who you are. I’m grateful The Match met you at the right moment today.
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on November 29, 2025 at 4:50 pm
I feel this! I carry my late husband, Chris in my spirit and show up because he cannot. 🩷
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Thank you for sharing this Carrie. Carrying Chris in your spirit and showing up because he cannot, that’s the kind of energy that keeps people connected, grounded, and seen. I’m grateful you shared this here.
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on November 29, 2025 at 5:46 pm
So ironic that those week’s word is energy. Before we went on fall break, I reminded my 5th graders about something we’d talk about in 4th grade… the type of energy we bring into a space. I reminded them of how bringing negative energy can drain everyone you encounter… how it’s unhealthy. I reminded them of that being one of the main reasons I left my previous school. They remembered. So I asked them, of they believed I was talking about LITERAL energy. They did not. I pulled out my energy stick (that I learned about at the ISCA conference this month). We formed a circle, joined hands, and demonstrated the energy traveling through each and every one of us to make the stick work. They were in awe… LITERAL energy. We LITERALLY bring energy into a space. I reminded them to be mindful of the type of energy they carry around and bring with them every day.
I feel like my body literally absorbs the energy around me so I am mindful of the energy I carry and the energy I allow in my space for long periods of time. I work to ensure my office is a place of peace and calm… just what some people (adults & students but need) during the school day.
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This is powerful. The way you’ve taught your students to understand both the literal and emotional sides of energy is something they’ll carry for a long time. I love how you made it real for them, not just a lesson, but an experience. And the way you curate the energy in your own space is leadership in its purest form. Thank you for sharing this.
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on November 29, 2025 at 6:02 pm
Thank you for sharing this personal very personal story and the impact it had on you at the time…and the future you.
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Thanks Jeff, grief is a strange thing and it hits us all differently and at different times. It seems like the longer I sit with grief the more I learn about myself.
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Every week, The Match resonates with me. This week was particularly insightful and helpful. This year, one of my best friends passed away suddenly. I was thinking about him today, and, serendipitously, your post came to my inbox. I plan to continue to share his energy and mine through kindness, thoughtfulness, and connecting others to do good deeds. He was thankful for the simple, yet powerful things in life. Thanks for sharing The Match!
Thank you for sharing this Syed. I’m so sorry for your loss. When someone we love passes suddenly, the way we carry their energy becomes part of how we move through the world. The fact that he valued the simple, powerful things in life says a lot about who he was, and who you are. I’m grateful The Match met you at the right moment today.
I feel this! I carry my late husband, Chris in my spirit and show up because he cannot. 🩷
Thank you for sharing this Carrie. Carrying Chris in your spirit and showing up because he cannot, that’s the kind of energy that keeps people connected, grounded, and seen. I’m grateful you shared this here.
So ironic that those week’s word is energy. Before we went on fall break, I reminded my 5th graders about something we’d talk about in 4th grade… the type of energy we bring into a space. I reminded them of how bringing negative energy can drain everyone you encounter… how it’s unhealthy. I reminded them of that being one of the main reasons I left my previous school. They remembered. So I asked them, of they believed I was talking about LITERAL energy. They did not. I pulled out my energy stick (that I learned about at the ISCA conference this month). We formed a circle, joined hands, and demonstrated the energy traveling through each and every one of us to make the stick work. They were in awe… LITERAL energy. We LITERALLY bring energy into a space. I reminded them to be mindful of the type of energy they carry around and bring with them every day.
I feel like my body literally absorbs the energy around me so I am mindful of the energy I carry and the energy I allow in my space for long periods of time. I work to ensure my office is a place of peace and calm… just what some people (adults & students but need) during the school day.
This is powerful. The way you’ve taught your students to understand both the literal and emotional sides of energy is something they’ll carry for a long time. I love how you made it real for them, not just a lesson, but an experience. And the way you curate the energy in your own space is leadership in its purest form. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for sharing this personal very personal story and the impact it had on you at the time…and the future you.
Thanks Jeff, grief is a strange thing and it hits us all differently and at different times. It seems like the longer I sit with grief the more I learn about myself.