Where Your Frustration Lives, Your Investment Hides

It caught me off guard.

A news headline. A story in the media. A loud, heated debate that spiraled into yet another thread of controversy. I watched it unfold and felt something I didn’t expect: frustration. Disappointment. Almost like I’d been betrayed by people I didn’t even know.

And then I had to stop and ask myself, Why do I care this much?

That’s when it hit me — I wasn’t just watching. I was invested. Not financially, but emotionally. Somewhere along the line, I had given a piece of my presence, my attention, my focus — and now I was upset with the return.

And that’s the key: when frustration arises, it usually reveals where we’ve made an unconscious investment. Energy, time, mental space — poured into something that didn’t give back. Something that wasn’t structured to sustain us in return.

Life is an ecosystem. What you feed should feed you back. And when it doesn’t, it’s time to reevaluate the exchange.

We underestimate how sacred our energy is. Every place we spend it — every conversation, screen, relationship, opinion, or reaction — is a seed we plant. And some seeds drain the soil. Some grow into weeds. Some steal sunlight from what was meant to bloom.

It’s not that the world doesn’t deserve your energy. It’s that you have the responsibility to choose where you put it. Energy is currency. Energy is food. It was never meant to be wasted.

So the next time you feel agitated, disappointed, overwhelmed — pause and look at what you’ve been feeding. Was it aligned with your values? Did it support your growth? Or were you pulled into an emotional sugar rush — an instant fix with no long-term nourishment?

Sometimes we feed distraction because it makes us feel included. Sometimes we over-consume drama or controversy because it gives us a false sense of purpose. It gives us a talking point. A place to belong.

But here’s the question to keep coming back to:

Is this thing — this news cycle, this conversation, this attention-grabber — contributing to the life I’m building? Or is it pulling me out of it?

When you’re truly invested in what matters — your family, your healing, your purpose, your well-being — you don’t have as much space for things that take and take and never give back.

And yes, taking your time to choose better investments — relationally, spiritually, emotionally — might not give you the quick hit of certainty. But it’s what creates structure. It’s what builds a life that holds you instead of draining you.

Discipline is not about being strict. It’s about being sustainable. When your energy is well-placed, it loops back. It returns. It multiplies.

But when you’re constantly giving to things that have no roots in your life, you’ll always feel like you’re running on empty.

So ask yourself:

• Where am I spending my energy that’s not part of my ecosystem?

• Where have I mistaken noise for nourishment?

• Where am I seeking inclusion when I should be protecting my clarity?

• What have I been trying to grow that isn’t meant to feed me?

The world is full of stories that want your attention. But not all of them belong in your field. Not all of them grow fruit. Some just steal water.

Choose what you water.

And if you want to live a life that sustains you — that reflects your values and brings peace instead of pressure — let your investments be intentional.

You don’t need to know everything.
 You don’t need to be everywhere.
 You don’t need to join every fight.

You just need to know what you’re building — and invest accordingly.

• Esther