Picture this: you step outside in the morning. Cool air brushes your skin. You reach into your bag — and instead of coins or cash, it’s filled with shimmering gold dust.

That gold is your life force.

The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung described it as psychic energy — the inner power that lets you imagine, work, love, create, stay patient, and preserve your peace. It is the soul’s fuel.

Now ask yourself: if someone stopped you on the street and asked what was in your bag, would you spill your gold onto the pavement just to be polite?

Of course not.

Yet many people do exactly that every day — oversharing their struggles, plans, finances, or achievements with anyone who casually asks, “How are you?”

Here are several ideas, inspired by depth psychology, to help you safeguard your emotional and mental energy.

1. The “Personal Fog”: Avoid Exact Numbers

Modern life is obsessed with figures:

• How much do you make?
• What did your house cost?
• How much was your car?
• How much did you invest?

Often, these questions are less about curiosity and more about comparison.

If your number is low, you may face judgment.
If it’s high, you may trigger envy.

Instead of giving precise details, respond more generally:

“Enough to live comfortably.”

“A fair amount.”

“Nothing extreme, but I’m content.”

You’re not being dishonest. You’re protecting your privacy.

2. Humanizing Your Success

Visible achievements can create invisible tension.

When others see your life as flawless, they may project their own frustrations onto you — through criticism, distance, or subtle hostility.