Celebrating the Journey

This week I learned an important lesson about celebrating your success. I think we get so used to looking at the big picture that we forget all the very important steps that go in to getting us there. This past week I made two very important contacts but yet for a while all I could focus on was not having the numbers I wanted at a workshop I'd given. It took my going to a Woman's circle and doing an exercise about gratitude for it to really dawn on my how much I'd gained.

 

In life I know that it's been a tendency of mine to look towards the future instead of celebrating the now. Over and over again I have been reminded this week that it's all about the journey. The more I focused on the journey this week, and the success I'd made on my path the more things opened up for me and I began to enjoy my business. I was no longer waiting for things to take off and be a success but I was seeing things take off right before my eyes. I got to feel the energy and see the momentum in action, and I also know that this is just the beginning. There will be other success along the way that will build, and I want to make sure that I am present and focused on all of them.

Staying Positive While at Work

Like a lot of people out there I work in an office with people who have different personalities and ways of dealing with stress. It can be hard when in a professional environment to not let the attitudes and behaviors of the people around you affect you. I know that I am highly affected by whether or not the people I share an office with are in a good or bad mood.  At times it can feel like my mood is too greatly tied up to theirs.  I also know that I have been the cause at times of negative emotions in the office based on how I was feeling or how I was reacting to things that happen at work.

What are some of the ways that we can avoid being caught up in work drama while still maintaining good relationships with our co-workers? I’m fortunate enough to be able to listen to my headphones at my desk. When I feel like the mood of the office is becoming stressful I can simply listen to my music or inspirational speakers. I love Hay House Radio for this.  Anther way that I stay positive at work is to make sure that I have positive influences on my desk. All around my monitor and the wall I face are inspirational quotes. I could also add some pictures and art work to brighten up the mood.  I invite you to find your own way to get centered while dealing with various personalities and moods in your workplace.

Creating Balance

Focusing in on what's important to us can be hard when we feel like there are so many things pulling us in different directions. I recently completed a 3 month leadership training that forced me to take a look at different areas of my life that at times were neglected and set hard goals.  Great things were accomplished but now that no one is standing over me, what do I do? Well working with a coach is a great idea. I will still have someone to hold me accountable and make sure I'm being a person of my word, accomplishing all the things I say I want to get done. But do I still go hard in all areas or do I only focus on the ones that are most important. How do I balance my life without exhausting myself?

 

I think making a list of priorities is a great start. I personally would put my career at the top of the list but I know a career with out family, friends and good health does not make for an enjoyable life. I believe that I can put my full focus in my career while still making scaled back yet meaningful deposits into the other areas of my life. I also believe that once things in one area of my life start to come together and I begin manifesting the things that I'm passionate about it will inspire me to take that same momentum into other facets of my life.  For right now my goal is to work hard yet still take time to enjoy the people in my life, take care of my body and express my creativity and love for people. 

 

Influences

Who has influence in your life? I was thinking about the people whose opinions mean the most to me and the reasons why I value what they say. Well I will start by saying that I have very smart, amazing and powerful people in my life and I know that all their advice comes from a place of love. But when people give advice where else does it come from. Well obviously it comes from their past experiences and view points. It would be very hard for someone to give you advice without bringing their own judgments into the picture. Yes sometimes we can learn from others experience but often times we have to go through the storm ourselves to come out with the same insight.

So how do we come to these insights? Sometimes we repeat the same lesson over and over again until we finally get it and sometimes once is enough. I know there are issues that I am constantly working on, and sometimes it feels like I take big steps forward, and then I may have to repeat a grade or retake a test. I feel as though I’m constantly searching for approval, and often times in this search I solicit advice even though that is not what I am really looking for.  I realize that all the outside approval isn’t going to matter until I approve of myself. At that point I will be the most powerful influence in my life. I can take the advice from others go within and make decisions that ring true for me.  I will then be able to appreciate the people who have influence in my life. There experiences and advice will be a gift to help me on my path.

As a coach I don't focus on giving advice. I assist clients on their path so that they may go within and find the solutions that ring true for them. There are so many outside influences that at times we may need assistance tuning the world out so that we may truly hear what's available. I know at times I do. I turn to writing or art or meditation because although I know there is no way to eliminate all the people and things that influence me there is a way to see them clearly.

Live in the World of Play

What is the perfect career and who actually has it? How many people today can we say are in love with their work? Isn’t it something we are all striving for. I believe that whatever we want we can create but when we live in a world that tells us that working is about making money and gaining respect how do we step away from the crowd and find careers that are fulfilling and satisfying. The other day I was sitting with my boyfriend and his friend who is actually a former co worker and I asked them both what would they do if they could do anything. If you can believe it I actually had to pry their answers from them. I got responses like I don’t discuss things that are not realistic or finance people just work to make money they don’t care about liking their jobs.  For most of us the majority of our time is spent at our jobs, why are we settling for not liking what we do. We wouldn’t watch a TV show that we didn’t like or hang out with friends who we couldn’t stand so why are we spending 8-12 hours of our day doing something we don’t like. Is it really all about the paycheck? And if so what are we sacrificing in order to gain it. Our happiness, health, our families.

So I ask you what would you do if you could do anything? Give yourself permission to go big, be unrealistic.   At what age did it stop being ok to fantasize?  New creative unrealistic things are done every day but it’s only by those who let themselves dream. And not only dream but do. So what would it take for us to stop living in the world of realism and live in the world of play. When we play we take risks. We take chances and slide towards home base. We make up new rules and we go for the win. I vow in my career to go for the big win and if society’s rules are not making the game interesting enough for me then I vow to make up new ones.