The Ten-Quart Genie
How Are You Spending Your Precious Energy?
Imagine this:
Every morning, as the light begins to rise, a little genie appears at the edge of your bed. She hands you 10 quart jars and tells you this is your ration of energy for the day—your personal life force for the day.
She smiles and says, “Here is all the energy you have for this one day. Use it wisely. And no, you cannot have any more so spend it with awareness. Tomorrow, I’ll bring you ten more.”
It’s such a simple image—and yet it invites an extraordinary kind of honesty.
Energy as Life Currency
During each day we have only so much energy for life. From a scientific view, energy isn’t a metaphor. It’s literal. Your body is a living energy system, powered by the intricate dance of oxygen, glucose, and neural activity. Your brain alone uses about 20% of your daily energy, and your emotional states directly influence how efficiently that energy flows.
Stress, overthinking, resentment, and fear burn energy like a leak in the system. They keep your nervous system in high alert, consuming precious reserves meant for creativity, connection, and healing. Joy, purpose, rest, and love, on the other hand, optimize your metabolism, regulate hormones, and expand your capacity. The energy you invest in alignment actually multiplies.
Spiritually speaking, this is the sacred economy of consciousness—how life moves through you, shaped by what you give attention to.
Practice Exercise
My Ten Quarts
Take out your journal and draw ten empty jars or boxes across a page. Each jar represents one quart of your daily life force. Now, with clear eyes and no judgment, fill them in.
Feel free to cut them into halves or quarters or whatever. Where does your energy truly go on a typical day?
Here is a starter list of common energy expenses. Use them if it helps.
_______________to work and responsibility
_______________ worry or replaying conversations
_______________physical care & health
_______________scrolling or distraction
_______________creativity or joy
_______________enriching relationships
_______________worrying about relationships
_______________meditation, rest, silence
_______________time with nature
Then step back and ask yourself:
“If I only had ten quarts today, do I really want to give three of them to worry?”
“What might shift if I redirected even one quart from tension to something nourishing?”
This exercise isn’t about guilt—it’s about reality. Awareness is the first act of empowerment. When you see clearly where your energy flows, you regain the freedom to redirect it toward what truly matters.
A Closing Thought
Your energy is sacred currency. It is how Spirit experiences the world through you. So tomorrow morning, when your little genie arrives with her 10 quarts, pause and smile. Make a promise to her and to yourself. “I will spend this day with intention.”
Ten quarts. Ten chances to honor your one wild, dynamic life.