In our previous article we promised to expand further on the contagious power of a simple Smile. We also left you with an invitation to consider the potential positive effects of intentionally smiling. After all, you have the opportunity to affect others’ neurochemistry in real time. Why not commit to using your smile as a force for good?

If you’re up for the challenge, over the next few days, take special notice of a couple of different emotional dynamics as you flash your pearly whites:

• When you smile at someone, you may see or even feel a shift in that person’s energy. That person might feel less tense, and more grounded, and you may even sense personal a lift from those positive emotions, too.
• Or, maybe your positive vibes shield you from whatever negativity is festering around you, and your smile serves to change that negative energy into the positive vibes for the others who you “brought with you”.

If either of the above happens, congratulations! You have played an active role in changing others’ social energy, on the spot. In the first situation, you acted as an Equalizer, serving to stabilize another’s emotions. In the second, you were a Catalyst, acting to spark another’s ‘happy hormones’.

Let’s take a look at each of these phrases in the context of Social Energy:

The Role of an Equalizer

While this is not a role in the movie(s) of the same name, the role of an Equalizer can be used as a positive secret weapon in any social/cultural interaction. You see, as our mentor Judith E Glaser helped us understand, we have the ability to change our neurochemistry and that of others in real time, depending on the words we choose to use. And with this recognition of agency, comes responsibility. When we don’t utilize our capability, we are missing an opportunity to positively shape the social field. When we flex this superpower, we positively impact the outcome of our interactions and our feeling of connection by creating/perpetuating a culture of trust.

This equalizing effect goes even farther than words. Sheer presence can make a difference. A true heart connection impacts our ability to regulate, as can be illustrated by a HeartMath study that illustrated the heart-rhythm entrainment between ‘man’ and dog. In this case the man is an 8-year-old boy named Josh, and his dog Mabel. In the experiment, both Josh and Mabel’s heart rhythms were measured in three phases. These rhythms were monitored when Mabel was alone in a room, when they came together, and when they parted. When Josh entered the room where Mabel was waiting, both Josh and Mabel’s heart rhythms came down to a more coherent rhythm. And then, when Josh left the room, each of their heart rhythms became more chaotic. The two dimensions of this observation that were quite telling are that Josh didn’t actually touch Mabel, and that Josh felt warmly toward Mabel.

It’s exciting to consider what this research could reveal if applied to humans! Imagine reading the heart rhythms of professionals during team meetings and then connecting the readings with the content of the meetings. This could provide deep insight into which behaviors are triggers vs equalizers.

The Role of a Catalyst

We can enhance our spiritual energy just by understanding that being a fountain, rather than a drain, has the ripple effect of spreading joy. For instance, from the very first time she stepped into a NYC corporate building, Deborah has unconsciously, yet intentionally practiced being a Catalyst to enhance, or stir up, the good vibes of social energy. She also discovered that “psyching herself up” when first courting corporate clients went a long way to setting these vibes into motion.

Deborah fondly remembers a ‘game’ she played to prep her energy for high-stakes interactions with powerful people on the other end of an elevator ride. For context, in NYC after 9/11/01, a security check to enter office buildings became the new social norm.

“When I’d go through the security checks on my way to client calls and presentations, I was feeling anxious due to the importance of these meetings. I would try to connect with the security person and either inspire them to laugh, or at the very least, smile. This left me feeling confident that I could connect with the decision makers with whom I was meeting. As I’ve learned about the power of social energy, I recognize the ‘bonus’: I left the security guards with more positive energy than they had before I walked into the building.”

In hindsight, Deborah recognized that the guards were going through the monotonous motions of their jobs when she approached. And when they recognized the playful interaction, it was as if they ‘woke up to the present’ and became engaged in the conversation. It felt less like a transactional procedure and more like an interactive experience. And by moving from transactional to interactive, it creates bonding and social space that we SHARE with that person— not only in the moment, but as part of their social field. The benefit is that each time Deborah returned to the office building, the guards began to recognize her, leading to more conversation.

So, now with your new awareness of the positive energy that you can bring to a situation, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally, how will you choose to show up in any situation going forward? How can you become an equalizer or a catalyst?

With this new awareness of the power of Social Energy, and the roles we play in contributing to or draining from social situations, it’s time to take stock of what we’ve uncovered during the year in relation to Social Energy. This will be the focus of our next article, including a preview of what else there is to learn in 2025. We hope you’ll stay with us for the ride!