Spend It Wisely: A Lesson Wrapped in Chocolate

This morning, I wasn’t looking for advice. I was looking for chocolate. And yet, in the middle of a normal Tuesday, a candy wrapper handed me a reminder I didn’t even know I needed:

"Your energy is expensive. Spend it wisely."

At first, it made me laugh. Then it made me pause, because lately, life has felt like a beautiful mix of excitement and disorientation.

The Tension of Growth

I’m in a season where my personal and professional worlds feel deeply aligned—but also deeply uncertain.
I know I’m on the right path. But I can’t always see what’s around the next bend.

As someone who’s built a life around planning, preparation, and thoughtful decisions, that fog feels uncomfortable.
Old patterns creep in: second-guessing, scanning for mistakes, trying to out-plan uncertainty itself.

But here’s the truth: Growth and clarity don’t always come with roadmaps. They often come with discomfort first.

How Familiar Reactions Hold Us Back

When uncertainty shows up, our brains do what they’re wired to do: reach for familiar reactions, even if those reactions—like overthinking, stalling, or spiraling—are no longer helpful.

It’s efficient, it’s automatic, and left unchecked, it can quietly rob us of the very energy we need to move forward.

This morning, it wasn’t just that I was feeling anxious—it was how easily I was spending my energy on something that wasn't helping me build the life I want.

Energy is precious. Where we spend it shapes who we become.

The Cost—and the Opportunity—of Our Energy

We often talk about time as our most valuable resource, but the truth is, our energy—emotional, mental, spiritual—is just as finite. Maybe even more so.

If we’re not intentional, we end up investing it in worry, self-doubt, and chasing certainty...instead of in the relationships, dreams, and growth that matter most.

When I zoom out—literally and figuratively—I can see what truly deserves my energy:

• My faith

• My family

• Meaningful, relational work

• A peaceful mind

• A grounded, connected home life

That’s the life I’m building. That’s where I want my best energy to go.

Not into overthinking.
Not into fear about a future I can’t fully control.
Not into trying to perfect a path that is meant to unfold, not be micromanaged.

A Better Investment

Today, a candy wrapper handed me a simple but powerful reminder: My energy is expensive, and it’s my responsibility to spend it wisely. If you find yourself tempted to waste your precious energy today, take a breath. Zoom out. Remember what matters most. And choose, again, where—and who—you want to become.