<em>Saturday mornings for me can go one of two ways.

When the alarm goes off at 5:10am, I can jump out of bed, have a coffee and then head out for the gym. After an hour working out, I'll pick up a newspaper, head home, and have breakfast. By 8am , I'm ready for the day. Alive, and enthusiastic.

Other times (especially during my teenage years) Saturday's were completely different. I'd only set the alarm for 8am. And when it rang I'd turn it off. I'd wake up again at nine, but bury my head under the pillows again and try to have a 'lie in'. At 11am I'd finally emerge from the bedroom. Being overslept, I felt lake crap and it didn't seem like any amount of coffee could get me going. I'd look at my watch and suddenly realise it was 1pm. Over half my day had gone already!

What I've described above are completely real scenarios that I think we've all experienced at some point. While having a sleep-in seems like a decadent and good thing to do, it is actually a complete waste of time. When lieing in bed, it always seems like the best option to get just a little more sleep. But at what cost? The cost is the lost opportunity of positive experiences and shared time with family and friends. In the long run, lieing in is really something you should do once in a while. If you do it all the time, or come to expect it, then it is doing no one any favours.

But the choice between these two realities is something that each one of us makes ever day. The choice between taking it easy, or embracing the world. Frankly I don't trust myself to always make the right decision, so I think it is better to engineer an environment where doing the right thing is almost inevitable. My solution was to marry a fitness instructor!

All of us are capable of two 'modes' of living. One where we take energy from the world, and one where we add energy to the world. I am not talking about the occasional bout of negativity that results from the knocks that life deals us. I'm talking about people who choose to see everything as a trial, everything as a challenge and aggravation.

<blockquote>A friend of mine calls this being an 'inflow person' or an 'outflow person'.</blockquote>

There is also a certain momentum that builds from this choice. If I eat mince pies for the whole month of December, it becomes that much harder to commit to a health regime come January. If someone becomes an inflow person while young, with each successive year the chances that they will recover and become a force for positive change in the world diminish.

Personally, To ensure that I do the right thing, I have my own 'contract' with myself as to what I expect from myself. Essentially this is a list of behaviours that I know will help me and those around me grow and flourish. 

But understanding and recognising inflow and outflow behaviour has implications for social settings and the workplace. Having carried around inflow people for over a decade, I know that behaviour change is breathtakingly slow and ultimately not worth it for anyone. Choose to be around good positive people every day. 
