I believe that energy is our biggest resource. Not money, not time, but energy. I also believe that most of us don’t use this resource with intention or to its fullest potential. For years, I charged through life like an over-caffeinated squirrel without realizing I was burning through my stash. I had plenty of energy, but I spent it like a toddler armed with glitter… everywhere and on everyone. I never stopped to think about protecting it or using it wisely.
As I’ve been digging into my own growth, I’ve come face-to-face with the truth that energy is everything. Learning how to picture it, manage it, and work with it has flipped my world upside down in the best way. What’s even more powerful is how this base understanding ripples into every corner of life.
Over the last several years, I’ve dived headfirst into understanding this mysterious force we call “energy.” I learned to visualize it, talk about it, and even measure it in my own quirky way. Energy became Skittles—bright, countable, and playful enough to turn something abstract into something I could work with. Being a visual learner, I need to see it to get it. Otherwise, abstract concepts set up camp in the “lost and found” section of my brain.
As I realized the power of energy, the Skittles image brought it to life. It was fun; it was quantifiable; and it turned energy into a game. I could feel each one slip away or land in my bowl. Suddenly, I knew when I was overflowing and when I was scraping the bottom—and more importantly, I could link those states directly to my choices. Whenever my bowl was empty at night, I knew my Skittles had been tossed into black holes. That flipped a switch—I started protecting my energy like it was gold.
Think about a time when your brain just would not shut up, rehashing a tough situation, overthinking every scenario, or beating yourself up about something you said or did. You end up drained, exhausted, like your own mind has been joyriding you around all day without your permission. Every mental loop has a Skittles price tag. It’s basically the world’s worse streaming service; your brain keeps auto-playing reruns you didn’t subscribe to, with no skip button. And every time you watch the same episode again, more Skittles disappear from your stash.
The goal isn’t to stop thoughts completely; it’s to stop funding them. A looming decision, nonstop work stress, friend drama, worry about someone you love—every one of them eats Skittles. The hamster wheel isn’t free; it bleeds you dry. Once you realize that every epic mental saga is coming out of your daily Skittles budget, you’ll think twice about binge-watching your own thoughts.
Emotions are another big Skittles cost. If your emotional intelligence is underdeveloped, you’ll burn through your stash by reacting instead of responding. Reacting is knee-jerk. It’s snapping, sulking, yelling, or shutting down without a single thought. Responding is different. It’s strategic. It’s the pause before the choice, the moment you guard your Skittles instead of hemorrhaging them. Reacting almost always costs you more than you think. Responding almost always saves or adds Skittles you didn’t realize you could keep.
When you’re going through something emotional, it drains you. Losing a pet, ending a relationship, getting laid off—those are big-ticket Skittle expenses. Knowing that makes me want to spend wisely, not scatter them willy-nilly. Save your emotional Skittles for the real stuff so you can really process it, instead of stuffing it down and layering distractions on top. That’s a thief of joy.
Physical movement is one of the fastest ways to deposit Skittles back into your bowl. Exercise, play, and movement aren’t draining obligations; they’re Skittle multipliers. When you move your body in a way that feels good, it’s like an instant candy rebate. You don’t have to punish yourself to earn energy. Laughter, movement, fresh air, and connection refill your bowl in ways that feel like freedom.
Once I started treating everyday annoyances as a Skittles experiment, everything shifted. Slow Wi-Fi, spilled coffee, lost keys—all of them give me the same choice: do I toss Skittles at the irritation, or do I save them for something that actually matters? Blow your stash on petty stuff and you’re drained. Save it for joy, connection, and growth, and you walk away richer.
Your energy is yours, and yours alone, to decide how you spend. Once you see the Skittle price tag, you’ll never unsee it.