Love Energy - The Energy That Renews You
By Paul Bauer

1. The Origins and Discovery
In the late 20th century, psychiatrist Dr. Clancy D. McKenzie made a striking observation in his clinical work. Many of his most troubled patients — even those grappling with deep mental health struggles like schizophrenia — experienced profound improvement when they were guided to direct love outward toward something or someone beyond themselves.

He noticed a pattern: once a patient shifted their focus from their own pain to giving love — to a child, a plant, a pet, or even a memory of someone cherished — something remarkable happened. They felt lighter, calmer, more whole. McKenzie named this process “love energy” and described it as a life force that, when flowing outward, sparks healing in both the giver and the receiver.

2. What Love Energy Means for Individuals

At its heart, love energy is not about sentimentality or grand romantic gestures. It’s about the direction of attention.

• When attention is locked inward, tangled in need, fear, or self-criticism, we become depleted.
• When attention flows outward — through care, generosity, and love — we step into connection.

For individuals, this shift means a release from the heavy loop of self-absorption. It restores a sense of purpose, and even more beautifully, it awakens self-love through the very act of loving outward.

3. Why It’s So Powerful

Love energy transforms because it:

Breaks the cycle of isolation:
Focusing outward interrupts the spiral of rumination and despair.

Ignites self-healing:
As McKenzie found, the simple act of loving another evokes feelings of being whole and worthy yourself.

Restores balance:
Outward love re-calibrates the nervous system, reducing anxiety and inviting calm.

Builds resonance:
Love energy flows in two directions; when given freely, it often returns amplified.

This explains why even the smallest act — stroking a pet, tending a flower, offering a kind word — can feel like medicine for the soul.

4. Using Love Energy Daily

Love energy is not a lofty theory. It’s a practice anyone can weave into daily life:

• Morning reset: Begin the day by bringing to mind someone or something you love. Send a thought, a prayer, or a moment of care outward.
• In moments of stress: Pause, breathe, and direct love energy toward someone you appreciate — a friend, family member, or even a stranger in need.
• Cleansing practice: When negative thoughts rise, redirect attention outward: “I now send love to…” This softens the inner noise and restores presence.
• Bedtime reflection: Before sleep, recall one moment where you shared or felt love energy during the day. Let it settle into your body as a gentle closure.

5. Sharing Love Energy with Others

Love energy is contagious. It multiplies when shared. Here are a few ways to spread it:

Conversation: Tell others about the simple discovery — that giving love outward restores inner love. Share Dr. McKenzie’s insight as part of the Serenity journey.

Small actions: Smile, listen fully, send a thoughtful note. Each act radiates energy beyond words.

Community practice: Families, interns, and moms can use short “love energy pauses” together — one minute of breathing and silently sending love outward.

Modeling: When you live with this practice, others will naturally sense and absorb it.

Key Principles for a New Generation

Why Love Energy matters so much for today’s students and young adults:

• Cuts through overload: In a world of nonstop stress and digital noise, this practice offers a quick reset for the nervous system.
• Builds authentic confidence: Self-worth grows naturally when love flows outward, not from likes or external validation.
• Strengthens resilience: Facing setbacks becomes easier when the heart is attuned to connection instead of self-doubt.
• Creates ripple effects: A single student practicing Love Energy can inspire and uplift an entire circle of friends.

Closing Reflection

Dr. Clancy McKenzie’s discovery was simple yet profound: when we give love away, we discover it within ourselves.In a world often heavy with distraction and self-doubt, love energy offers a compass back to wholeness.

Serenity carries this essence forward — reminding each of us that healing is not found in turning further inward, but in letting love flow outward to others, and in that giving, finally finding home within.

With gratitude to Dr. Clancy D. McKenzie for his pioneering work on Love Energy.

To learn more about how to share this practice — and how it’s built into Serenity — click here.