I Thought it Was Just Me:🔋🚦⚡

Published: Sat, 04/05/25

Updated: Sat, 04/05/25

People who drain your energy are not entitled to your time. Trust mi!

Anton Marks

My mum would always say, ’A mind tell mi seh ...’ when she referred to her intuition telling her something she needed to act on. That’s exactly how I felt stepping into this room, but I didn’t respect it enough to heed its warning. I’m no public speaker, but I was here to discuss the commercial aspect of writing novels. Immediately, my shoulders tensed, and my vision narrowed. That subtle throb at the base of my skull, like my spirit wanted to shrink back into itself, and I glossed over the subtle warnings. And as always, it was right.
I wanted to discuss making money from novels, but this crowd was openly antagonistic to that idea. I tried valiantly to sway their opinion or at least get them to consider the idea of creating revenue from their writing, but I couldn’t.
I was in the wrong room.

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Your energy is your currency. Spend it on growth, not gossip.

I figured I was tired, and my persuasive skills were below par. But over time, patterns started revealing themselves. It wasn’t just tiredness. It wasn’t just personality. It was energy—being siphoned off, little by little, by people, places, and dynamics that asked for more than they gave.

I’m no expert. I’m a storyteller. A watcher of life. And I’ve learned through trial and error and a fair bit of pain that energy is everything.

We treat energy like it’s some mystical force—like it belongs to the yoga crowd or the spiritually inclined. But it’s far more fundamental than that. Energy is how you show up in the world. It’s what makes you laugh at your child’s joke even after a long day. It’s what gives you the nerve to chase a dream, the clarity to know when something’s off, and the stamina to keep showing up when things are hard.

🌍 Afrofuturist City Planning Challenge: Design the City of Tomorrow! 🌍

Calling all visionaries and urban planners! We invite you to step into the future and design a city that epitomizes the spirit of Afrofuturism. Imagine a place where tradition meets cutting-edge technology, where the streets pulse with cultural heritage, and the architecture itself tells a story of innovation and sustainability.

Challenge Details: Design a futuristic African city that reflects the principles of Afrofuturism. Your submission should include a map and a 500-word description detailing the city's architecture, technology, and culture.

How to Enter:

City Map: Create a detailed map of your city. This can be hand-drawn, digitally rendered, or even a 3D model. Ensure it highlights major landmarks, infrastructure, and urban layout.
Description: Write a 500-word description of your city. Explain the architectural styles, technological innovations, and cultural elements that make your city uniquely Afrofuturistic.
Key Features: Highlight key features such as energy sources, transportation systems, public spaces, and how these elements integrate with the natural environment.

Judging Criteria:

Creativity and Innovation: How original and innovative is your city design?
Cultural Integration: How well does your design incorporate elements of African heritage?
Sustainability and Technology: How effectively does your city use technology for sustainable living?
Presentation: How clear and visually compelling are your map and description?

Prizes:

🥇 First Place: Your character will be featured in an upcoming story in our newsletter, plus receive a $50 Amazon gift card.
🥈 Second Place: Your character will be featured in our newsletter and receive a $25 Amazon gift card.
🥉 Third Place: Your character will be mentioned in our newsletter and receive a $10 Amazon gift card.

Submit Your Designs: Email your City Design and any optional sketches to Marksmanstudios1@gmail.com. Please format your entry with your contact details and the title "Afrofuturist City Planning Challenge!"

Submission Deadline: Be sure to submit your submissions by 6th April 2025.

And when it’s gone? You don’t collapse in a dramatic heap. You just slowly start disconnecting from the life you were meant to live.
The truth is that some spaces are built to take.
Many years ago, I worked in a building in the King’s Cross area of London; it felt like a testing chamber for human limitation. Not many windows. Sparse natural light. The air was cool but dead. You could sit there for hours and forget you were a living thing. And the people? They matched the room. Passive-aggressive and borderline racists. Conversations never rose above surface level, and you get the sense that everyone is performing some half-forgotten role in a play they stopped caring about years ago.

That space drained me. Not just physically, but creatively, emotionally. I started to dread going. Started to question myself. Started to feel like maybe I was the problem.

But it wasn’t me. It was the environment.

Michael Singer says, “The meaning of life is the experience of life.” Not the performance. Not the doing. The experience. But when low-energy places or energy-depleting people constantly surround you, you stop experiencing. You start surviving.

I’ve known people who never said a harsh word but drained the air from a room. People who constantly needed your validation, who pulled you into their drama. People who want you to be endlessly available in the name of friendship.

But here’s what I’ve learned the hard way: availability without boundaries is dangerous.

And that’s what it feels like when you prioritise everyone else’s needs.

You slowly erode who you are.

We’re taught to tough it out. To be nice. To push through. But pushing through draining spaces only teaches you to live with less of yourself.

And here’s the kicker: it doesn’t have to be that way.

I’ve met people who light up a room just by being present. I’ve stood in spaces so alive with history, creativity, or quiet reverence that I left feeling more whole than when I arrived. That’s not magic. That’s energy alignment.

It’s okay to pay attention to how you feel. To notice the slow leak. To admit when something—or someone—is costing you more than it’s worth. It’s not selfish. It’s self-preservation.

Because your energy is your life.

And the truth is, not everyone deserves access to it. Not every space is worthy of your presence.

You don’t owe the world your depletion. You owe it your aliveness.

So, find the places that recharge you. Find the people who make you feel at peace. Gravitate toward the ones who pour into you as much as you pour into them.

Because if energy is life—and it is—then where you spend it is where your story unfolds.

Make it a story you’d live again.

Peace, love and power.