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Autumn 2004
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Autumn 2004
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ur newsletter will promote principles of personal success for women. These ideas will illustrate success in the working world, in interpersonal relationships, and in developing self esteem and confidence. Each member will bring special knowledge about attaining personal goals and adding a sense of discovery and excitement to women's lives.
"One of the crucial things I do when working with a client, whether in a personal or business focus, is to bring them to the present moment. It is only there that we can make choices. If we are focused on the past, then we certainly can't make decisions that are clearly part of the present."
"Consider this: Could it be that you're running yourself so hard because you are afraid to stop and look at your life? In twelve years as a management consultant, I've met many people who run, run, run because they cannot pause."
"I think there should have been a "how to" book for enjoying the journey of life! That way, we would all get the point a lot sooner. I let so many years go by without enjoying it! Not anymore!!"
"Change does hurt, and the unknown is very scary - but things happen in their own time and when they are ready to happen. So don't run away from the discomfort - bear it as best you can."
"...I help people learn how to use their money to create a life of joy. I want people to be healthy - not just fiscally, but also physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I find that money has an impact on all five aspects of health."
Lenann McGookey Gardner has just returned from a consulting engagement with the SAP Group of a "Big Four" accounting firm in Central Europe. Her three days' work in Prague was well received by the Czech, Polish and Dutch attendees, who help companies to implement the famous SAP Enterprise Software to run entire businesses. Lenann reports that information technology professionals are running service businesses, but often are so technically oriented (thinking in terms of nuances in their software offerings rather than the details of relationship building and successful business development), that her State-of-the-Art Selling and Closing Skills sessions are wake-up calls to focus on completely different aspects of the question of how to grow sales. Lenann is now running a 120-business-day follow-up program with this group, via daily e-mail, to track key measurable aspects of their business development efforts, to be sure revenue grows steadily following the learning experience she provided.
Janet Hall recently increased her knowledge and Integration techniques to Level V and plans to learn Level VI in the fall in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She has been selected out of thousands to attend the training workshop in January of 2005 to become a World Instructor on life empowerment and change.
Jane Blume has had a busy October: On the 1st, she presented "Promote Yourself the Professional Way" to Women for Equal Justice/Prepaid Legal Services' "Women Make a Difference" luncheon meeting. On the 2nd and the 16th she hosted KUNM Radio's "Folk Routes" show. On the 9th she led a discussion of messaging and strategy for the Health Security for New Mexicans Campaign. On the 25th, she presented "Ask Jane: Challenges in Public Relations" (named after her online column at http://www.desertskycommunications.com/askjane.html) to the Institute of Management Consultants’ national Confab in Reno, Nevada.
Carol Akright recently returned from a speaking engagement in the Orient aboard Princess Cruiselines. She will be a keynote speaker and breakout session leader at the Sandia National Lab Secretaries Conference on November 9-10. She writes a bi-monthly column on "DREAMFUNDING" for SAGE, the women's magazine in The Albuquerque Journal. Her book, FUNDING YOUR DREAMS GENERATION TO GENERATION, has been re-released in its third printing by Advisor Press, Inc.
n one of my past lives, when I was studying Recreation and Leisure Administration, I remember when the topic of holidays and vacations came up. It seems that this subject can be generally divided into three parts: the planning, the event, and the recall. At the time, it struck me just how much like life that is: early development and training, living fast and large, and retirement and reminiscence. Of course life, like vacations and holidays, doesn't fit quite that neatly into such a package, but generally it seems to hold true, so I'll use that metaphor about this topic.
Remember in our early lives how we were always pushing to grow up and do what the grownups did? Our elders would encourage us to stay kids, teens, in college, etc., as long as possible, but what did they know? We were focused on the future. Then, before we knew it, we found ourselves in the midst of careers, families, and lives rushing so fast we barely stopped long enough to take a breath - and if we were lucky - a vacation. We were living in the present, and most likely not taking much time to enjoy it - again living for the "whens" of life.
I'm now in the tentative stage between the frenetic pace of trying to do everything for everyone and contemplating that future when at least some of my friends are retiring or slowing down to smell the roses. The reunions with old friends are sweeter, and I'm doing more recall at those times. Thus, this topic is a good reminder for me about what Life - with the capital L - is all about: enjoying the journey.
Are you the camera buff in the family? How often have you spent more time looking into the camera's eye than actually breathing in the moment? Is each new vista or vignette just another photo opportunity? In my case, I've begun to experience my "Kodak Moments" in my mind and with my heart. In fact it seems that these moments remain more vivid, and the entire time surrounding them fuller and richer than any picture I might have taken in that moment. I can smell the air, hear the sounds, and remember the people and the situation as if it were currently happening. And now, when an opportunity comes up in conversation to share that moment, I get to relive it fully.
How many of us spend our daily lives the same way - merely observing, and pulling back from fully engaging in the moment?
"Not me," you say? "I'm so busy doing this and going here, and, and …" I'm wondering if that is truly enjoying the journey - or simply just being an observer. Are you totally present - in the moment - or are you more in your head checking off one more task, keeping track of the clock to complete your office work, call that last client, and file those papers so you can take Susie to her soccer practice and Brad to horse back riding before you get home, pull the load of laundry, put it into the dryer, and start dinner? Whew, I'm ready for a breather, and I'm only thinking about it! But wait! There's the committee meeting at 7:00, and then pick up… I think you've experienced the drill or one similar to it, right?
May I suggest that this activity whirlwind isn't living in the now, or enjoying the journey. In fact, I'm not sure when we are in that mode that we are even "at choice" as much as we are reacting to circumstances, our heads taking us on to the next to-do even before we have completed the present one. If a week goes by, then a month, and a year, it is easy to see how we can move through our lives merely existing, missing out on the things we envisioned doing and being - that book we wanted to read OR write, that career change or phone call to friends who moved out of town, or the long overdue letter to Grandma Janie.
A sure-fire way to check myself is to try and remember what I experienced two weeks ago. If what I remember is the task list completed and not the choices I made or the enjoyment I felt, then I can be fairly certain that I wasn't too awake and aware.
One of the crucial things I do when working with a client, whether in a personal or business focus, is to bring them to the present moment. It is only there that we can make choices. If we are focused on the past, then we certainly can't make decisions that are clearly part of the present. In fact, our experiences of the past may create the "what-ifs" and fears that - while well meaning - may not serve us well in the present. Examined experiences coupled with current knowledge may be a much more powerful way to choose.
Likewise, living in the future "if-whens" may freeze us from taking even small steps that could get us where we want to go. In fact, taking a few small steps may give us more information and validation crucial to making the difficult choices in our lives.
Not many of us (and certainly not I), are able to move through a complete day fully in the moment, enjoying the journey. I am not that "evolved" yet, although I'm trying to be more fully present for myself and for others as I move through my day. It is easy when I'm with a client, but otherwise? That is a bit more difficult! With practice, the amount of time each day that we are present can grow. Here are some ways I've found that help me to enjoy each day, no matter what it brings both in challenges and in joys:
When you wake up in the morning - and before getting out of bed - try to envision how to create the day. Set an intention to be fully present, noticing when you're falling out of synch with that intention. (Nothing is more powerful as a guidance system than checking ourselves throughout the day to see if we are "on target.")
Meditate, pray, or sit quietly merely observing what comes up. Be reminded of how wonderful each and every moment of our lives truly is. In fact, sometimes that moment comes during my morning walk or other exercise. Without my ears plugged in, or eyes glued to the TV, I can give myself the freedom to truly be there for myself. What a precious gift we can give ourselves, especially in the hurly-burly of most of our schedules!
Take several breaks during the day, especially when you sense the stress levels rising and ask, "What am I feeling?" "What does this remind me of?" and, "What do I want to feel or be instead?" This is being "in choice."
At the end of the day, before going to sleep, take a few moments to write five things to be grateful about from the experiences of the day. I use one of those beautiful weekly calendars so I have a delightful picture and just enough space to be succinct. Yes, doing that even in one of the hardest days isn't as difficult as it sounds. And yes, sometimes on those days the gratitude is for very small things, like seeing a hummingbird, smelling the aroma of fresh grapes, or hearing the laughter of a child on the way home from school. On those days when I'm absolutely hard pressed to find anything, just reading several past better days can get me back in a gratitude frame of mind.
Hmmm… it seems that even in a single day, we can plan, fully be present to make conscious choices, and recall with gratitude. That may be the truest measure of enjoying the journey, and it can be done by anyone at any stage of life. What could be more beautiful? Enjoy your journey!
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Lenann McGookey Gardner is a Harvard M.B.A. and an independent management consultant specializing in improving companies' sales and marketing results. She works with smaller businesses, as well as large companies, worldwide. Call Lenann when you want to grow your sales by closing the most desirable, highest profit business. Lenann is a winner of the American Marketing Association/New Mexico's "Services Marketer of the Year" award, and is profiled in the 2004 edition of Who's Who in America. Visit her on the Web at www.YouCanSell.com. |
ENJOYING YOUR JOURNEY AS A PROFESSIONAL
hat's your relationship to your job?
Love-hate?
Complete delight?
Are periods of disappointment more than balanced out by positive events?
Or is your work just a big albatross around your neck, pulling you down?
As is true for many other folks, I've experienced all of the above at one time or another in my career. As I contemplate entering my third decade as a professional (!), I wonder if I can be clear about what has caused the differences in my attitude to be so dramatic. Although there are lots of elements that might have made this list - including problematic bosses, difficult relationships with colleagues, even lack of exercise - I've identified the top four contributors to my own failure, from time to time, to enjoy my professional journey. They are:
If I'm overextended, it's hard to enjoy my work day-to-day. Work is just a thing to be done because, if I don't, I won't be able to cover the bills.#1 Money:
#2 Family: If things aren't right in my family life, there's no enjoying any aspect of life's journey. Work may look like an escape, but it doesn't bring me joy. So, for me, family always has to come first.
#3 Lack of Sleep: I've had many occasions - especially these last twelve years as a management consultant - when my responsibilities seemed to come in tightly compacted bunches. I have to work hard, consistently, for weeks at a time. I'm all wound up, and I don't sleep well. And everything gets to be a burden.
#4 Burnout: I remember being recruited, aggressively, for a job as director of marketing for an organization on the East Coast many years ago. I took the job, and was promoted twice in the first four months there. Then my boss, the senior vice president of marketing, was "put out to pasture" - he was given no budget and no staff, and told to go to Washington, D.C. and try to influence Congress positively on behalf of our company.
When that change occurred, I was asked to report to the senior vice president of FINANCE. I'd never heard of "Marketing" reporting to "Finance" in any organization, anywhere, but that was the plan. On the first day of our new working relationship, the s.v.p. of finance cut $750,000 out of my budget. He didn't know what the money was FOR; he just cut it. That was it for me - no enjoyment there. So I negotiated a severance package and left.
So many people I know are in difficult circumstances - buried under their bills, fighting with their families, sleeping little, burning out - and they think they can persevere. Even more laughable, to me at least, is that they think no one else knows.
EVERYONE ELSE KNOWS! Just as you know when people are stretched thin, so we know when you are. It's easy to spot!
So what to do?
Live within your means! Is that so hard? Do you feel compelled to live just beyond? Why?
Schedule yourself as a mortal, not a superwoman! (My biggest challenge, bar none!)
Decide whether you're an "adrenaline junkie". Do you need to be stretched thin to feel alive?
Do you think you are at your best under pressure - so, therefore, are you setting yourself
up to be under pressure all the time?
If you're not hooked on adrenaline, do you somehow feel that you're here on earth to
work, and that you're not worthy of a break? That may be an approach you can take for a while,
but in the long run everyone I know who works all the time has suffered.
Are you just poorly organized? Liz Davenport, author of
Order from Chaos: A 6-Step Plan for Organizing Yourself, Your Office and Your
Life, suggests that many people work on easy tasks that need doing, thinking that, when those are done, they'll get to the really big tasks
- the ones that can make a big difference in their results. But the easy tasks take up all
their time - so they never get to the big,
"make-a-difference" tasks.
You can predict Liz's advice: do the big tasks that make a real difference FIRST.
Her proposal that you make a list of the 7 most important things you will do every day, and to
be sure to do those 7 before retiring for the
night, has helped many.
Consider this: Could it be that you're running yourself so hard because you are afraid to stop and look at your life? In twelve years as a management consultant, I've met many people who run, run, run because they cannot pause. I think they're afraid to look at the larger picture of their lives, and what they have become; they have no work-life balance to contemplate.
My friends in the "helping professions" - and by that I mean psychologists and other mental health professionals - would probably say that most of the above suggestions are worth a visit. What's that, you say? You can't find the time?
"Being with my Gram!" (And yes, I did ask my granddaughter!)
Brianna, a 4 year-old Cutie"It means playing golf! Just kidding, but I love it. It means to always have your family close to you, have friends and to have fun no matter what you are doing. "
Jason, a 13 year-old Student"So far, I think enjoying the journey means travel, because I want to! No, seriously, I think it means being accepting of things as they come your way in life, and being accepting of yourself so that you can enjoy just being you."
Danielle, a 21 year-old Bookkeeper"For me to enjoy the journey, I need order. Having a measure of safety and boundaries, something to govern what you can't control, as well as having friends, family, a good wife, and lots of humor!"
Bradley, a 26 year-old Warehouseman"It means relaxing and being open to giving and receiving, being patient, and enjoying each and every day."
Natalie, a 23 year-old Practitioner"Enjoying the journey means loving and living, to me. Allowing myself to respond to the the love others give me and giving them love in return. Living means taking it all in to the fullest."
Chris, a 24 year-old Bodyworker"I enjoy the journey when I give up my attachment to controlling the outcomes in my life, but keep my intention to have a good time doing whatever I am doing, regardless of the outcome, and play the game as hard as I can. This puts me in an empowered state of being, really feeling alive. I'm focused more on me, my performance, and on the experience, than the way everything turns out and I truly believe that is why things turn out well for me. I have a good time no matter what comes up."
Jerry, a 47 year-old Businessman"Now that I am older, I realize that it means loving your family, your God and taking time to appreciate his creation - the beautiful sunsets, full moons, gardens, and pretty scenery. It also means trying hard to understand your children & communicate with them, and cherishing the time you have with your mom and dad; as they won't always be there. To sum it up, enjoying the journey, means to live simply and happily."
Betty, a 74 year-old Housewife"Well, it means, enjoying your wife and children, first and foremost, but also really enjoying your work and having the means to care for your family well, to take vacations for good memories, and helping other people. Real enjoyment in life comes from accomplishing your goals and helping others to accomplish theirs. What is really important, when it's all said and done, is how many people you have helped, how many good friends you have that like and respect you and treat you well, and how much your children and grandchildren love you, along with how often they come to see you."
Paul, a 75 year-old ContractorAll interesting comments, don't you think? And what do I think? I think there should have been a "how to" book for enjoying the journey of life! That way, we would all get the point a lot sooner. I let so many years go by without enjoying it! Not anymore!! I am having a fantastic year of love, enjoyment, laughter, adventure, fun, refreshment, wonder and growth. To me, that's what the journey is really about!
What has helped me enjoy my journey is to remember that everyone's path and level of growth is so very different: we are all growing at a different pace, one that is right for us, individually. I make a concerted effort to see the higher self in each new person I meet, and in all those with whom I have had relationships in the past, and take delight in gaining more knowledge each and every day to bring myself into new growth and enjoy the expansion of who I am.
I'm sure I had heard the thought of living each day as though it were my last, many years ago, but I wasn't ready to really hear it then. It did, however, really impress me and now it is a part of my everyday life. I am now consciously living each day with the satisfaction that if it were my last, I'd have loved everyone around me with an open heart and received their love freely; that I am now always present and engaged when I am with my children, and have given them abundant love, the real tools they need for life, and a good example for them to reflect on; that my parents can be proud of the child they have raised and that I have been a great part of their joy and healing in life. I feel satisfied in knowing that I am on the spiritual path I was meant to be on, being of service to others and feeling the reward each day of having the privilege of being a part of their healing process and hearing their triumphs and accomplishments.
Each day I've learned to flow with life and remain authentically me, first and foremost, for that is the only way to truly enjoy the journey! I never stop looking for ways to grow and improve myself, so that the "journey of life" becomes dearer and dearer to me. I keep, within me, the feeling of reverent awe about life and the unique feeling of experiencing new life, like the way I feel when holding a newborn infant in my arms. I live out of the joy in my heart and find humor in each and every day.
I awake at dawn to go outside and breathe in the crisp, fresh and healthy ozone air, before the sun rises. I take in the peace and calm of the quiet world with a cup of tea, on my porch swing, to invigorate me for the day ahead. I meditate and envision my day just as I want it to be. I try never to pass a beautiful flower anymore without smelling and appreciating it, or miss the exquisite sunsets, full moons and the magnificence of the ocean. I stop often to reflect on life's innocence and blessings and recall the sweet essence of a soft rainfall, or the glisten of a heavy snow across the yard of my childhood home on a moonlit night. When I travel, I open all my senses to the new places I go - the sights, the sounds, the smells, how it feels to be there, and I make a "sensory memory" to reflect on later.
I recently traveled to Sedona, Arizona and fell in love with the rich red rock mountains and the wonderful healing energy there! I learned that the earth is actually a living entity, just like a tree, just like animals - just like me! It has energy vortexes, just like all life does. I had never thought of it in that respect before. I listened to the "Song of The Earth" produced by NASA which is an actual recording of the sound the earth makes as it is turning. It had to be magnified four thousand times for the human ear to hear, and it is one of the most incredible things I have ever heard! It sounds like beautiful music. I now have a deeper respect for this wonderful planet that I have the privilege to enjoy my journey on.
How do we bring ourselves to enjoy the journey of life? Some, like me, find the journey enjoyable much later in life and have experienced great pain along the way. Hopefully, you will not wait so long! Many things can contribute to your journey, and there are also many methods out there to help you find out what the journey means to you. One thing I greatly attribute the enjoyment of my journey to, is the life empowerment and change techniques that I have used, and perform on others, to integrate for change in perceptions, beliefs, feelings and ideas about life. This procedure is life-altering and shifts you into a whole new positive world and to a higher level of life! Your body is encoded and your subconscious reoriented toward the new positive changes you want to happen in your life.
Even small changes can be really enjoyable. One of the changes I wanted, was to travel a lot more. I wanted more adventure - and I have barely been home at all since the summer started! These integrations are powerful! I also integrated for working fewer hours while increasing my income, and to enjoy life much more. I am truly appreciating how these integrations are manifesting a whole new life for me!
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Jane Blume, Editor/Publisher of our Defining Women newsletter, celebrates 38 years of professional work in communications this year. Jane founded Desert Sky Communications in 1989 to help businesses, non-profit organizations and individual entrepreneurs "get the right messages to the right audiences." Desert Sky's services include public relations, marketing and advertising strategies and execution; writing and editing; corporate identity; photography; facilitation; and innovative radio programs. For more information, call Jane at (505) 294-1976, email to or visit www.desertskycommunications.com. |
ecently I heard an inspiring talk about how to follow your bliss, do what you love and get paid for it by an award-winning Santa Fe-based international travel journalist, Judie Fein (www.globaladventure.us). Judie has had several different career changes in her 30+ years of professional work.
At the age of 20 she was a theatre critic in New York City. After graduating from Cornell University and completing her doctoral coursework at City University of New York, she left to live in Europe and founded an experimental theatre troupe in Switzerland. Judie lived in Europe for 9 years, where she had 10 of her plays produced in English and French, performed roles in both languages, and won numerous playwriting awards. She returned to the U.S. to teach acting, directing and playwriting at the both undergraduate and graduate levels.
In her next professional incarnation, she became a successful Hollywood screenwriter; one of her early efforts was selected for development at Robert Redford's Sundance Institute. Notable screenplays she has worked on include "Dirty Dancing II," "Harriet the Spy" and "After Jimmy."
After moving to Santa Fe and publishing a non-fiction book with Simon and Schuster, Indian Time, Judie began contributing regularly to such National Public Radio programs as "The Savvy Traveler," "Marketplace," and "All Things Considered." Her success with "The Savvy Traveler" led her into travel journalism; to date she has contributed articles to more than 45 publications, including LA Times Magazine, Hemispheres, Intermezzo, More, Boston Globe, The Denver Post, The Christian Science Monitor, Jerusalem Report and Spirituality and Health magazines.
Recently, Judie garnered a Gold Award from the Society of American Travel Writers for best magazine article of the year: it was an article about Jews living in Tunisia written for the LA Times in late 2003. She and her husband, Paul Ross, also wrote, directed and produced a film, "Tunisia: A Mosaic," which played to sold-out performances (and more had to be added) at the Santa Fe Film Festival. The American Library Association's BOOKLIST has named the film a recommended feature.
With the fascinating life she has led, it's not surprising that Judie Fein has developed some rules for living which have helped her follow her bliss:
Listen to your body. It will send you signals about what is wrong for you and what truly excites you. All you have to do is tune in.
Always do something new every day - to open up new pathways and possibilities. If you change your rut or routines externally, they will change internally.
Say yes. Always say yes. Judie says that her career changes occurred because she never said no to anything. You never know whom you will meet or what experiences you will have that will open up unexpected possibilities. (Jane's note: This means that you're not focused on carefully planning your next move!)
Bear the discomfort. Change does hurt, and the unknown is very scary - but things happen in their own time and when they are ready to happen. So don't run away from the discomfort - bear it as best you can. (Jane's note: When you come through on the other side, you'll often be pleasantly surprised.)
Don't confuse making a killing with making a living. If you're obsessed with making a killing it's a misdirected goal, because you won't have time to enjoy other aspects of life. Making a living will allow you to really "live."
Get out of bed with a sense of meaning, purpose and usefulness. Don't settle for less.
Don't be afraid of failure. And don't think that not achieving perfection equals failure. You can't achieve perfection anyway because you're a human being and we human beings are not perfect. Besides, we learn more from our failures than from our successes.
ENJOYING THE JOURNEY: Use Your Money to Create a Life of Joy
t the beginning of all my seminars, I challenge my guests and say: "Don't stockpile all your money until the end, passing it down at death to people you didn't share it with while you were alive. Furthermore, don't forget your own fun - use your money to enjoy your life's journey!" Most attendees look a little shocked: here I am, a financial advisor, telling them to share and spend their money. They thought I'd focus on how to save and invest it!
Well, as a financial planner and investment manager, I do both, but mostly I help people learn how to use their money to create a life of joy. I want people to be healthy - not just fiscally, but also physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I find that money has an impact on all five aspects of health. And in every instance, I find that the people who are healthiest in all these dimensions are those who enjoy their life's journey - not just occasionally, not just on holidays and vacations, but almost every day. How do they do it? They find ways to use one of life's most vital energies - money - to create the life of their dreams, and that life makes them joyful (i.e. healthfully happy) day in and day out.
Now, I `m the first to say that money doesn't "buy" happiness. I'm sure you, too, have known wealthy people who don't appear very happy. Conversely, there are those individuals with modest financial resources who do seem content in their lives. Beyond the basics of financial survival, however, it's not about how much money you have. It's the way you use it - i.e., the way you focus it, harness it, expand it, and get creative with it - that leads you to a life of joy and fulfillment.
What do I mean by using money for fulfillment? I'm talking about using it to fund your greatest life dreams. What are those dreams? Only you know. My greatest life dream right now is to adopt two children in the next two years. Now, I'm 56 years old; a lot of people would think I'm crazy. But it's MY dream. I don't really care what others think. And I'm on the path to funding and fulfilling that particular dream. What is your greatest dream? Is it something material? A bigger house, a snazzy sports car? Or is it something less tangible? A college education for your children? Affording health care that offers you freedom from physical pain? A good marriage? Is it just feeling content with your life? How about exploring the world through travel?
Most of these things take some money - whether it's to pay for purchasing something, buying a certain experience, or funding a new level of health. And what will you feel once you have this dream in your life? Might it be happiness? Or a sense of inner peace, or pride, or a greater belief in yourself, because you made something happen that was important to you? Above all, I want to see you use your money to create a life of joy and to put the FUN back in FUNding your dreams.
What is the first step in dream funding - in starting on that journey that brings you joy? I believe it is self-understanding. You have to know yourself very well - intimately. You have to know what your heart dreams of - what your Higher Self calls you to be, to have or to do. You must sit down and really think about this. If you had only one more day to live, and you could have any dream you wanted, what would it be? How would it make you feel to have it? If it's joyful, you're right on the money (excuse the pun!). You've identified what you need to experience that last day of your life to feel joyful.
You don't have just one dream, though, do you? You have several very important dreams - they may involve just you, or your spouse or children, your parents, or a friend. If you could have five dreams come true that last day, what are they? Who else do you want to see joyful? What would it take to make that happen for them?
Now, you've identified the dreams that will bring you, and possibly your loved ones, joy. What's next? The second step is to believe in your dreams, but more importantly, to believe in yourself. You know who you are. You know what you're capable of accomplishing. You've got brains, experience, skills, resources, money, friends, mentors - you just need to look realistically at your life and all that is at your fingertips for support of those dreams.
Do you know how much your loved ones want to see you happy? Joyful? Do you know how many of those people whose dreams you've identified would love to have their own dreams come true? They all would! Do you think you could work together as a dream team - to create the life of joy you each one want? They may be different dreams, different lives of joy. But can't you envision helping one another accomplish what needs to be done, finding and sharing the money to do those things, getting creative by "dreamstorming" for one another? You realize, I am sure, that lives of joy don't just happen upon us - we think them up, we envision having them, we start working toward them, and then they happen! You can do that! Your friends and family will help you do that! It can be done!
"What about the money?" you say. "I only earn so much, have so much." Well, you can earn more. You can get more. But you have to want it badly enough. How badly do you want those dreams? For yourself? For your son or daughter? For your husband or wife, mother or dad, or a friend? Do you want it badly enough to get creative and to work toward them? Well, that's what it takes. If you don't want your dreams enough, the joy won't happen. It gets back to what I said earlier: you have to believe in your dreams and believe in yourself. Do you? Will you? Of course you will, if you want to fund your greatest life dreams.
The third step, then, is really simple. You need vision, desire, and commitment. These are not small things - but achievable states of consciousness - all prerequisites so you, too, can create the money you want and use it to live a life of joy.
Money, you see, is a form of energy. You know that we're all made up of moving atoms, right? That we're a mass of moving energy? All material things are as well. It's the law of physics. Your thoughts, your beliefs, are also energy - and that energy puts things in motion. You focus on something; you commit to creating it; you move the energy to bring into being what you want to create. Money, then is just another form of energy, which you can bring into your life, then expand, and finally use to create the matter, both material things, and experiential things, that you want.
What it takes - as I've said already - is knowing who you are, knowing what you want (understanding that your fulfilled dream = joy), and believing that you can, and will, create it. You envision what you want, desire it, and commit to it. The laws of physics take over, and you manifest what you want in your life - money and all it can produce - i.e. your dreams coming true. In working with individuals to fund their life dreams, I have seen this happen time and again. It has happened in my life before. It is happening now: four years ago I dreamed about going to China in 2004; this June and July I took my goddaughter for a month-long trip to Asia and China. It can happen in your life, too - whatever your special dreams happen to be.
Now, I've identified three steps you need to create a life of joy:
First, self-understanding - knowing yourself well and what dreams come true will bring you joy… Second, believing in yourself and your dreams enough to… Third, envision, desire, and commit to them.
Now, a fourth step is required: creating a dream-funding plan and working it. I call this dreamfunding strategy. You're thinking, OK, here comes the hard part. No, the hard part is done - you've identified your dreams, believed in yourself and committed to fulfilling your dreams. Now, you take all those resources and tools: the money you already have, the people who want to help you (family, friends, mentors), and you put your ten (or five or eight) heads together, not just your one, and you create a dream team - your very own board of directors who will advise you, assist you, encourage you, every step of the way toward your dream fulfillment.*
(*My dream team concept evolved from Barbara Sher's "success teams" in her book, TEAMWORKS. This idea can work for you, too!)
How do you go about creating your dreamfunding strategy? To start, you bring together at least 5-8 people for your dream team's initial meeting. You lay out what your dream is - e.g., change careers and do what you really love - i.e. to making a living as a sculptor. Everyone has told you that you have a real talent - you know it; they know it; now you want to live that life - the life of a successful artist. So, your team gets together and spends three hours giving you all their ideas.
You outline your dreams, the obstacles (i.e., you need to keep a paycheck coming in, you need money for a kiln, art supplies, a studio where you can sculpt, a gallery to show your work - you have already been thinking about all that you need), and now you put all these brains to work, along with yours, and you come up with a plan - a time schedule for things to happen. Your dreams have "price tags" - money or time you need to complete them; and those dreams have "target dates" - dates by which you need the money, need to complete something, need to be doing some part of your dream. You team puts these price tags and target dates on paper. Now you have a written dreamfunding chart for action.
Next, you get your dream team to meet with you, (in person or by conference call), twice a month (every week is better), and you report progress, dissect new obstacles, challenges, and set interim target dates and strategies for having the funds to pay for your dream's various price tags. You continue these periodic brainstorming sessions, and soon you'll see price tags, one by one, getting paid for and target dates getting met. Progressively, you are on your way to dream fulfillment. And, one day, sooner than you think, your dream has come true. You're working as a sculptor and getting paid to live the life you love. Or your child walks to the podium to get that college degree. You've traveled around the world, or funded the down payment on your new home and have the monthly mortgage handled.
Before you realize it, you ARE living the life of your dreams; you ARE enjoying the journey; you HAVE ACHIEVED a lifestyle that brings you joy. And it all started with an understanding of who you are and what you want. That's where you begin today - using your money to create a life of joy. Good luck!
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