Tagged: change

Jul 07

Thoughts on Happiness (or Four Conditions of Happiness)

funny eyesThe other day my husband shocked me with a rather deep, insightful conversation about his priorities. About what he spends his time & energy on versus what makes him the happiest.

He broke it down into 4 areas:

  • Who I’m with
  • Where I am
  • What I have
  • What I’m doing

He then asked himself what makes him happy.

Since all of those things make him happy to some extent, he rephrased the question: “What makes me happy for the longest time?”

And he came up with his order:

  1. Where I am : He’s thinking of MOVING! *gasp*
  2. Who I’m with
  3. What I’m doing
  4. What I have

Then he thought about what life looks like now and where he’s spending the most energy & time.

It’s the last item on his list. The thing that makes him happy for the shortest amount of time.

And it got him asking more questions:

  • Why do I spend the most time on the thing that doesn’t last?
  • How can I start living in a way that reflects the order of conditions?
  • What do I need to do/change/be?

My husband is change-averse. This is what really threw me for a loop.

He got me thinking. My list looks like this:

  1. What I’m doing: I get bored easily. Must be able to do new & different things as I see fit.
  2. Who I’m with: I treasure awesome people. Get out of the house. Talk to people more.
  3. Where I am: Keep office & studio clean. Possibly move closer to cultural center.
  4. What I have: Toys are always fun. Save for good stuff. Just don’t spend all your time lusting/buying.

So how about you? How do you order these happiness conditions? And what do you need to do or change to bring more of what makes you happiest into your life?

Photo Credit: Christa Richert http://www.sxc.hu/profile/Ayla87

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Sep 30

Starred Items: Goals Edition

4916As you’re reading this I’m probably on a plane back home from visiting my parents and sister for a week. Good times & I got some fantastic clothes, shoes & a new haircut! Love you mom :) .

Today I wanted to highlight some helpful goal-achieving posts. Some are more on-topic than others, but generally these are some ideas and concepts that are slowly seeping into my own life.

I’m aware that I have 2 links from Ittybiz.com, but they’re definitely not the same author.

What goals are you working on these days?

Me? I’m working on a new business that incorporates more than just my tech side, keeping the 25 pounds I recently lost OFF, and formulating a plan to declutter and finally decorate my house.

Creative Commons License photo credit: sakura_chihaya+

And one last link… Wanna win a MacBook Air? :) Yes, it’s related to goals… how? A great computer can help you achieve some goals…

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Sep 19

Reclaim Your Dreams: A Review

ryd-book-smallI recently got a copy of Johnathan Mead’s Reclaim Your Dreams: An Uncommon Guide to Living on Your Own Terms. It’s an eBook I’ve been eyeing lately and was ecstatic when I finally got my copy.

The premise is this: You CAN go after your dreams. You just have to undo a few things that may be in your way and do some exploring. The answers are already there – inside your very own head.

The first part is called Unbrainwashing or Creating Room for Your Dreams to Grow. This part lays the groundwork for getting rid of old patterns and ways of thinking that prevent you from even considering going after your dreams.

One thing that I’ve realized lately is that I was made for a purpose. That purpose is related to the things love to do. And if I don’t do what I’m meant to do, I’m wasting my gifts.

Those of us who’ve gone through traditional schooling have more than likely had dreams squashed and gifts go unnoticed or even ridiculed. My dreams were squashed before I even realized what they were! We’ve been domesticated to be compliant drones in the corporate world where dreams really don’t have any place.

The first part of Reclaim Your Dreams is difficult and can get rather uncomfortable. You have to blast away the habits and clutter in your life to make room for the new stuff – your dreams. I admit I’m not quite proficient and not caring what others think and reclaiming my own mind (my mind battles itself constantly) but I’m getting there.

The second part of Reclaim Your Dreams helps you define your dreams through a series of exercises and gives you some practical ways to move towards them. If you’ve done ANY self-development work, these exercises may not be anything new, but together with the first part of the eBook, they seem a bit more potent than when I’ve done them before.

I admit I’m writing this review before completing the entire eBook but I’m excited about the possibilities. I’m working through the Personal Manifesto exercise at the moment and can’t wait to finish the rest.

I’ll post an update after I complete the book.

In the meantime, check it out for yourself. Jonathan offers a free sample chapter so you know what you’re getting into before you plunk down the cash. And really – it’s not a lot of cash. Skip lunch out for the next week.

Your dreams will thank you.

And if you’ve done the Personal Manifesto exercise, I’d love to read it! Post it in the comments (I’ll post mine next time).

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Sep 03

So money is payment for…?

Michelle Ward‘s latest newsletter hit me hard today.

She went through her working life after college and noticed that only a small percentage of the time was she being paid well for something she loved.

The rest of the time she was paid for drudge work, or not paid very well at all.

Her own coach helped her see that she thought money is payment for torture.

All my life I’ve been paid for doing stuff that really didn’t make me sing.

Some of that work was (and is) borderline torturous. Other work was just plain boring.

I know I can make money doing what I love – after reading countless books and listening to talk after talk about finding your love(s) and making your living at it/them, I know there’s a way.

But my deeply-held beliefs about money have got to change…

Are you saying, “Money is payment for torture” or “Money is payment for what I have to offer the world”?

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