Pandemic Lesson #4 – Alchemy and Energy Mutation for Growth

Way back, a long time ago — okay, it was March 2021 — when I thought that the worst of the Pandemic was behind us, I sat and “free flowed” the idea of what were my top ten lessons from the Pandemic.  This one came up and, frankly, I think I was really in ‘the Zone’.  During the Pandemic, I began to study the idea of alchemy, its more traditional definitions, and how this label may be helpful for us in today’s world.  The term ‘energy mutation’ is what alchemy can do in both the physical and mental sense of the word.  I also began to see how the things that happen “to” us are actually happening “for” us – and how this may change our perception of life, or the alchemy of energy within ourselves.  (This is a lot to take in on a random day so, buckle up, folks, this will be a short and important ride.)

The term alchemy has a number of different meanings depending on your perception.  The more traditional definition is “…a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life…”  That is quite the definition for doesn’t everyone want to change something for the better?  Within that definition, couldn’t we all be considered the alchemist of our own lives? It is the second definition, however, from Merriam-Webster that applies in this conversation:  “…[A] power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way.”  Now, change may be mysterious or may be an orchestrated event that is designed to be mysterious.  Either way, to the external observer, this change may not be noticed until the change is considered impressive; however, the person creating the change may feel this each day so that “impressive” is more of an external measure.  To the observer, the idea of alchemy doesn’t appear to be gradual change but more of a “Boom! Here’s your “change”!  Energy mutation, however, feels to me more like the daily management of one’s energy towards change, or accepting change for change doesn’t always need to be external.  Does the alchemist orchestrate this change or does the alchemist receive this change – meaning that change is an inside job or is what happens to us.  (I think it is a bit of both.)  One may not always feel the impressiveness of the change until a casual observer notices the change; many times the notice is unwanted and impacts the alchemist actually making the change.

I’m reading a very interesting book called The Psychology of Money written by Morgan Housel.  This book uses money and finance as a way of telling us about how we could also apply these to our lives.  One discussion that stood out to me was the idea of compounding investments, or how small, seemingly inconsequential changes, over time, realize huge dividends. In other words, how doing a small thing over time makes it appear that the result happened in an instant.  In an example of this, Housel profiles Warren Buffett who, at the time of this writing, is worth a whopping $103.7 billion dollars.  Yes, BILLION. Housel notes that “…all of Warren Buffett’s financial success can be tied to the financial base he built in his pubescent years and the longevity he maintained in his geriatric years.  His skill is investing, but his secret is time.”  You see, Buffett has been saving and investing since he was ten years old and by the time Buffett was 30, Housel states that Buffett had a net worth of a million dollars which, adjusted for inflation, would be about $9 million dollars today. (Page 50)  Buffett’s secret, however, was time and also his daily habits of investment compounded to his wealth today.

So why is this important in a discussion of alchemy or change? Because, Dear Reader, it is our daily habits that help us to achieve the seemingly big result.  However, the big result may not feel big to YOU because each day you’ve been working at this to get the big result.  It is the external observer that believes the change was instant.  We, as the alchemist of our own life experience, know that the result was through – possibly – years of hard work.  Or, perhaps, you just happened to buy the winning Powerball lottery ticket.  Did you just buy one? Or, is it your daily habit to buy (invest) in your future (lottery winnings) financial success?  It would seem that the odds are against you in the lottery ticket scheme of funding your retirement and that daily habits of savings may actually better your odds.  Or, not.  It is the whimsy and randomness of life sometimes that creates the alchemy for change may not always be in one’s own control.  And that, Dear Reader, is what creates the fabric of our lives – the unplanned. One can save for that retirement or “rainy day” only to be hit by a bus on your way to work. (Sorry, don’t mean to be morbid or disturbing.  Life is just random in that way.) The importance of alchemy is really more about answering the questions: “What am I doing today to transmute my life for tomorrow?”  And, how are my actions for today creating the energy mutation needed to show an alchemical result, or the impressive change?

Like Buffett, the discipline and framework of a goal (daily savings) creates a result (wealth) that is desired.  Buffett didn’t win the lottery to achieve his wealth; his daily habits compounded over time to realize the wealth as a result.  Or, someone like Rebel Wilson who recently achieved improved health through weight loss.  Wilson just didn’t wake up one day as a reduced size.  This took effort, discipline, and daily attention to her goal.

However, in both these cases, what do we notice? What we are seeing is the result from daily habits.  If  the observer is not part of the daily struggle, your results may seem to be alchemical or “instant” to them.  This realization when projected back to me, always felt a bit discouraging in that it felt like my efforts did not get appropriate attention.  I wanted to be praised for the struggle, not the result.  (And, I made the journey a struggle to warrant the praise.)  This misinterpretation slowed my personal alchemy because it caused me to be on a habitual loop — of which I was unaware.   Now that I am aware and with this new information, I have more joy in the daily doing for I’m not so concerned about the future result.  Small and incremental change in specific areas of my life have big pay-offs.  Simply put, making a choice each day to not purchase another lipstick at Walgreens (savings goals) or eating a piece of fruit (health goals) creates the mutation to our energy (focus) that helps us achieve our desired result (wealth, weight loss).

I’m quite excited about all of the applications of this type of thinking.  In leadership, how you handle the daily tasks, emergencies, praise, performance management; these daily-touched areas have long term consequences.  In my personal productivity, I see how a small change in my thinking can really pay off over time.  This learning supports daily habits and setting goals in smaller and more manageable increments.  I’ve heard the phrase “that girl” as in becoming “that” girl.  I think the term references a woman who seems to have “it” all together and, seemingly, based on the external observer’s opinion.  However, I’d like to be “that” girl based on my own opinion, and think I figured something out about how I can do such.

Just going to sit with that a while.

Peace.