One of the most important implications of this worldview is that the world is made up not of physical objects, but rather of energy. The apparent differences between objects in the world is simply the number of particles of energy, and the frequency of vibration of those particles.

This is not all that far from where science has ended up after 300 years of methodical investigation. After all, even objects that we consider solid (table, chair, compute) are at their core mostly empty space. The solidity is an illusion, valid only from our particular frame of reference. As physics has delved deeper into the mysteries of the world, it has found that all matter is the same - the only difference being the way in which these building blocks are organized.

Even high school physics teaches us that the difference between a solid, a gas, and a liquid is simply the rate at which molecules are vibrating and how often they are colliding with one another. There is no difference in what actually makes up either of these three "states" of matter: protons, electrons, and neutrons. Further investigation reveals that there may not be much difference between the "building blocks" of these three particles either!

In eastern philosophy, energy is a term that's used rather loosely, but begins to convey a similar notion: that everything is made up of energy - the only difference is the frequency of the vibration of that energy. Our physical bodies represent energy vibrating at one particular rate; this is considered the "densest" plane of existence. Beyond the physical body is a physical etheric body, which is a less "dense" manifestation of energy. Beyond that there is an astral body, and beyond that a mental body, and beyond that a causal body. Each of these represents not only a physical plane of existence, but also a state of mind.

Well, you might be saying at this point: that's great, but how does all this talk about physics, metaphysics, and energy impact my ability to meditate during the day, and how does it affect my career? The truth of the matter is that energy has everything to do with what happens to you during the day. However, it's important to have this theoretical backdrop before coming back into the realm of your daily life.

I have a question for you: How much energy do you have right now? How much did you have this morning? How much did you have at the end of the day at work?

When we speak of energy in our daily life, we generally mean "liveliness" and the "energy to do things". By our everyday definition ... what would it mean if you had "no energy"? It would mean that you'd probably sink into the couch, listless, with a remote control in your hand and not doing much else. Fatigue, chronic or ordinary, is a major problem with Americans. Stress manifests itself in our bodies, causing us to have little energy left to accomplish things that are supposedly very important to us.

The link between the esoteric disciplines and the practical world consists of your body and your mind. The Chinese call the energy in your body "chi" and have outlined an entire system of invisible nerves through which this energy flows. This system of meridians is the basis of acupuncture, and the Chinese believe that all illness can be traced to energy "imbalances" within this system. Other belief systems have similar lines, or centers of energy in the body.

The Career Warrior is concerned with energy in its many forms, but most particularly in how it manifests in his or her body and mind.

One of the central beliefs o the Career Warrior is that you must have more energy at the end of the workday than you had at its beginning! When I first mention this to people, they stare at me incredulously, sometimes with their mouths open, sometimes with a look of suspicion in their eyes: "What do you mean, have more energy? You must be kidding."

That's because for many people, work is a draining experience - the longer we have to work, the worse we'll feel.

The good news is that it is possible for work to not be so draining. If you can become aware of your "energy" throughout the day, you can find ways to make work empower, rather than drain you.

The first step in being aware of energy is reflection on how you feel at different points in your daily life and in your work. Reflection is a key part of understanding how to bring the "magic" of the spiritual realms into your everyday life.

I've found that the easiest way to do reflection is to ask a series of questions. If you start to ask the right questions, someone once said, you'll probably start to get some of the right answers!

Some questions that relate to gaining an awareness of your energetic patterns are listed below. Of course, you can use any technique of reflection you like.

The first level to ask this question at is about your current job. The second level is to ask it with respect to all of the jobs you've ever had. Another level is to ask it with respect to people. Identifying which activities make you feel energetic and alive is central not just to gaining awareness of energy, but also in defining the perfect job or career for yourself.

Some people don't like to ask these questions. They have a "latent' fear of revealing their own weaknesses. But meditation is about seeing things as they are - not simply as we wish them to be.

Many who meditate and are supposedly "seeking self-discovery" never stop to reflect on the cold hard realities of their current life. I believe that understand where you area and why it is right or isn't is an important part of the process of seeking answers.

By identifying which "things", activities, and situations make you uncomfortable and unproductive, you can make small changes that have a big impact on your life and effect your overall level of energy. This is the first step to "intelligently" re-deploying your energy and directing it toward spiritual pursuits.

Whatever you find the answers to your questions are, write them down. If you are doing the night-time visualization review, you will be able to see yourself in this energy-draining situation. It's up to you to make a suggestion to pre-empt the energy draining situation next time and make yourself feel better.

Similarly, you can ask yourself questions about which activities give you energy. It's important to remember that it's usually not the activity itself that gives you energy, it is some aspect of engaging in or reacting to that activity. If you discover what that aspect is, you can engage in other activities with similar results.

The basic issues with energy are:

1. The amount of energy (having too much or too little)
2. The flow and balance of energy

What the Chinese call Chi is called Prana in Yoga and other Indian disciplines. The universe is seen as full of prana, and the mechanism for getting more energy, say the Indians, is a set of visualization and breathing techniques. In order to stay healthy, say the Chinese, you need to not just have energy, but must keep it in constant flow throughout your body. If energy clots up, it's kind of like a blood clot, and can lead to discomfort and disease.

There are as many exercises for the control and flow of energy as there are stars in the sky. It is not necessarily the place of the Career Warrior to try every single one. Rather it's important to try several and learnt he essence of how and why they control energy. The point is not simply follow a prescription, but to reflect on how that exercise makes you feel, and to find the one that is right for you. A chi-Kung teacher once taught me a couple of techniques for increasing and balancing energy that I'd like to share with you. They are also described in a classic book, Wisdom of the Mystic Masters, by Joseph Weed.

Close your eyes and breath deeply for a few seconds. Put your hands one on top of the other, with your bottom palm on your abdomen, and your feet flat on the floor about a foot apart. Breathe in slowly to a count of sever, visualizing energy flowing into your abdomen. When you have finished inhaling, hold the breath in for a count of seven. When holding it in, imagine that the energy that has flowed into your abdomen has become part of a ball that is expanding. Then, slowly exhale for a count of seven. Repeat this seven times.

Close your eyes and breathe deeply for a few seconds. Hold your hands palms together (as if in prayer) in front of you, and hold your feet and legs together. Exhale all the air from your lungs for a count of seven, visualizing the same ball of energy in your abdomen. Hold the air out for a count of seven. Then slowly inhale to a count of seven. When you have filled up your lungs, smoothly let the air out for a count of seven. Do not hold the air in, simply reverse direction. Repeat this seven times.

These techniques should be done together, one after the other, so as to balance each other out. What does it mean to have too much Positive or too much Negative energy? These are simply labels for types of energy; what really matters is that they are in balance. In one technique you hold the breath (which is linked to the prana) outside the body; in the other, you hold it inside your body. This alternating slowly brings the energy into balance.

I was somewhat skeptical when I tried this the first time, but I can say that my own experience has validated the healing power of these exercises. Similarly, you should try these and other techniques out for yourself and validate them objectively. Be sure to evaluate how you felt before starting the exercise and how you feel after. Again, self-reflection is an important tool for the Career Warrior.

A hidden goal of all of these techniques, and most importantly self-reflection is to start becoming aware of the causes and effects of things in life. The causes of how you feel, and the causes of your behavior and your thoughts. This is as much a mystical practice as it is a practical one. As you adopt the way of the Career Warrior, you'll begin to see these relationships. Once you do, you'll be able to influence more than just the balance of energy in your body. You'll be able to influence greater control over your entire life.