How My Energy Shifted After a Major Life Change.

A personal reflection through the lens of the Energy Leadership Index™

By Johanna Danaher, Anchor to Aspire™

Two months before my role was eliminated, I took the Energy Leadership Index™ (ELI) assessment.
Five months after the layoff, I took it again.

Like many people navigating change, I expected the second assessment to show depletion — maybe frustration, anger, or creative shutdown.

That’s not what happened.

My overall energy score, or Average Resonating Level, barely moved (3.85 → 3.83).
But where my energy lived shifted in a profound, unexpected way.

It wasn’t collapse.
It was reorganization.

Let me walk you through what changed — and what it revealed about navigating major life transitions.

A Quick Note on the ELI Framework

The Energy Leadership Index™ is an attitudinal assessment created by iPEC™.
It measures seven levels of energy — from more constricted, draining energy (catabolic) to more expansive, fueling energy (anabolic).

Everyone has all seven levels.
What matters is the blend, and how that blend shifts in everyday life versus under stress.

Let me walk you through what changed, beginning at Level 1.

Level 1 — Victim (4.2% → 4.2%)

No collapse. No “why me?” spiral.
Even elimination didn’t pull me into helplessness.

What did shift was my willingness to acknowledge hard emotions honestly — pressure, guilt, uncertainty — while simultaneously feeling even more capable and empowered to move forward.

Under stress, Level 1 did rise (because I’m human), but not from powerlessness — more as the initial emotional signal before shifting into higher, more resourceful levels.

A deeper self-awareness, not a drop in resilience.

Level 2 — Antagonist (4.2% → 4.6%)

The anger I expected never surfaced.

Instead:

• I trusted people more

• I judged less

• I felt less need to protect or defend

• Being “right” mattered even less

The slight increase wasn’t conflict — it was clarity.
Stronger boundaries, without heat.

Level 3 — Rationalizer (19.3% → 19%)

A small shift, but a meaningful one.

I noticed more worry — honest worry.
At the same time, I felt:

• more optimistic

• more “up”

• more solution-focused

• more able to partner with people I didn’t always align with

Less pushing through.
More truth.
More grounded realism.

Level 4 — Helper (18.7% → 17.8%)

Still caring. Still compassionate. Still showing up for others.

But I released the patterns that drained me:

• less fixing

• less over-functioning

• less emotional caretaking

• more boundaries from a place of respect, not self-sacrifice

My capacity to help didn’t disappear — it became healthier, less automatic, and more intentional.

Level 5 — Collaborator (20.5% → 18.4%)

My optimism didn’t fade — it matured.

I still looked for the learning in the experience, but I became less attached to needing every situation to reveal a clear purpose or positive insight right away.

I stopped stretching to assign meaning where it wasn’t aligned.
Less pressure to make sense of everything in the moment.
More trust in the unfolding.

This wasn’t a loss of opportunity energy — it was a shift toward grounded possibility.

Level 6 — Connector (19.3% → 19%)

Steady, intuitive, and clear.

Even in uncertainty, I felt:

• deeply connected

• guided by intuition

• able to see the whole picture

• aligned with purpose

No drop. No spike.
Simply a consistent thread of wisdom woven through the transition.

Level 7 — Creator (13.9% → 16.7%)

And here’s where everything shifted.

Level 7 — pure creation, non-judgment, possibility — expanded by 20%.

More spaciousness.
More “I am.”
More vision.
More appreciation for life.
More willingness to create from possibility instead of fear.

Even under stress, Level 7 rose slightly — a rare and powerful indicator of deep alignment.

This was the birthplace of Anchor to Aspire™

So What Does This All Mean?

Getting eliminated didn’t collapse my energy.

It redistributed it.

I released:

• coping and self-silencing (Level 3)

• over-giving and fixing (Level 4)

• over-interpretation and forced purpose (Level 5)

And I expanded into:

• creation

• intuition

• grounded possibility

• a deeper sense of “I am”

My score didn’t change.
But I did.

From managing and caretaking…
to creating and trusting.

Sometimes the foundation cracks — not to break us, but to free what’s been waiting underneath.

If You’re Moving Through Your Own Transition

Your energy tells a story long before your mind catches up.
Awareness and acceptance create the space for conscious choice.

If you’re curious about your own energy blueprint, or how shifting patterns might create space for more possibility in your life or career, I’d love to explore that with you.

👉 Learn more about the Clarity Current™ (ELI + coaching) here. Now 40% off through Dec 31, 2025. Use code BLKFRI in checkout.
👉 Or use my Calendly link to schedule a complimentary introductory conversation.

You’re not meant to navigate transition alone.
And you’re not meant to stay stuck in an old energy pattern that no longer fits who you’re becoming.

Attribution

This article reflects my personal interpretation of my Energy Leadership Index™ assessment results, based on the copyrighted framework created by iPEC™ (the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching). All trademarks belong to their respective owners.