The Energy of Opportunity: How Level 5 Thinking Transforms Challenges Into Wins

If you've ever worked a short-staffed shift, you know how easy it is to get stuck in a loop of frustration, fear, and hopelessness.
“This is going to be awful.”
“We’ll never make it through.”
“No one cares how hard this is.”

It’s a natural reaction, especially for hardworking, nurses who already carry so much. It feels like yet another example of how the system doesn’t support us. And when we stay in that headspace, we sink deeper into catabolic energy — the fear-based, draining energy that leaves us feeling powerless.

But here’s the truth: even in the middle of what feels wrong, there’s also a lot that’s right.

And when we train ourselves to notice what’s going right — even just a little — we unlock Level 5 energy: the energy of opportunity, collaboration, and possibility.

Seeing Beyond the Problem

Level 5 energy doesn’t mean pretending everything’s fine when it’s not.
It’s about accepting the situation as it is and asking:
👉 Given what’s happening, how can we still create an amazing outcome?

For example, you walk onto the unit and realize you’re short-staffed again.
You feel the familiar punch of dread — and you notice it.

Instead of spiraling, you take a breath and shift your focus:

• What’s good about today? Maybe you’re working with colleagues you trust.

• What strengths do we have? Maybe the team is small, but experienced.

• What can we control? Maybe you can set quick priorities together, streamline tasks, or create a buddy system for support.

• How can we make this shift amazing anyway? Maybe you decide as a team to encourage each other, celebrate small wins, and focus on patient impact instead of the workload.

Same short staffing.
Same challenges.
Different energy.

Instead of feeling like victims of the day, you become creators of it. You turn lemons into lemonade — not by ignoring the problems, but by refusing to let them define you.

Why It Matters

If you’re a professional woman who’s spent years doing everything for everyone else, this shift in perception can feel radical.
You’ve learned to scan for what’s wrong so you could survive.
But to thrive?
You have to expand your vision to include what’s right too.

Level 5 energy opens the door to freedom, collaboration, and innovation.
It invites you to see challenges not as walls, but as opportunities to create something better — for yourself and those around you.

A Question to Carry With You

The next time you feel stuck, short-staffed, or overwhelmed, ask yourself:
✨ Given what’s happening, how can I still create an amazing outcome? ✨

Because even in the hardest moments, opportunity is always there — waiting for you to see it.

Would you like a snapshot of all energy levels and how they relate? Download a copy of The Energetic Self-Perception Chart