Gandhi said something along the lines of, “Be the energy you want to see in the world.” When I heard this quotation as an adult, it reminded me of something my grandmother taught me when I was a child. If there were something I didn't like, or something that upset me, she would consistently tell me that struggling with it actually added more energy to it. I didn't understand what this meant, but my child's mind did understand that she was telling me to stop adding upset to upset. Even when I couldn't do so successfully, I took in the idea that fighting against something was a way of adding even more energy to my upset.

In the current election season in the United States , the parties of both candidates and their supporters express a lot of upset on a daily basis. In my office, I have experienced many people who are deeply upset with the campaign process, and who have fears for the future. Consistently, I have invited them to think about Gandhi's words - to be the change they want to see in their world.

To be the change you want to see in your world doesn't mean not to act on behalf of outcomes you seek. It does mean to notice what quality of energy you bring to your actions. Is your energy in support of the qualities and outcomes you'd like to have in your world, or is it against something you don't want? The action can be exactly the same, but the underlying quality of your energy is different. One stance feeds what you want and the other feeds what you don't want.

For this week's experiment, I invite you to explore what happens when you hold a consistent image and experience of outcomes you want to have in your life – and the qualities they bring – rather than putting your energy into struggling against things that upset you. You can do this with small issues, like wishing you didn't have to do a particular chore. Rather than focusing on what you dislike about doing that activity, notice what happens when you put your energy and attention on the benefits you'll experience when you're finished. You can also play with bigger issues, like having to work with someone who's uncooperative. Rather than focusing on how much the person seems to block or frustrate your efforts, notice how you act and react if you embody the kind of cooperation you want from others. Then, notice over time what you experience as you continue to embody and express the cooperation you want to receive in your world.

You can also play with this experiment in terms of the current election process. If you have a candidate you like, notice what happens if you focus your energy on how much you would like to see that person elected rather than using your energy to internally fight against the other candidate. As you do this, notice how you feel by the end of the day.

As with all these experiments, be sure to leave judgment behind and to bring curiosity along as your constant companion. There's no right answer here – just an opportunity to become aware of how the focus and expression of your energy affects the quality of your daily life.