happiness and success

I am sure we all have questioned our success at some point on the path of our lives. What is our TRUE definition of success? I am not a fan of happiness per se, but speak of joy and that is where I wish to be. Talk of celebration, and that is how I wish to live. Life as a dance. Work as a purpose. Success as fulfillment and contentment.

Here is an article by Dr. Janice Dorn

What’s the deal with happiness and success?

Why is it that we live in such an amazing world, filled with blessings and opportunities, yet so few are happy?

You owe it to yourself and those who love you to be happy. You want to be successful for yourself and those who support and adore you. How do you do this? Where do you start? What comes first—happiness or success?

Studies show that it’s not an either/or situation. Happiness and success are connected in interesting and often counterintuitive ways. Talking about how success leads to happiness ignores half of the story.

Janice wrote this article for traders and offered some interesting solutions. I created my own list for myself and others.
Here is my list:

1. Find a confidante you can trust. Being able to talk about your most sacred fears, joys, and concerns in your business is key to keeping things in perspective, realizing you are most likely not the only one who has ever experienced the challenges you face, and knowing that someone who lends an ear is also offering you their heart. Support is very much underrated and can be the backbone to whether we persevere on the path or decide to give up. This goes for business and personal.

2. Get a life. Most of us work so hard, we forget there is a whole other world that exists outside of our self-contained world. Lift your head up and do something different a few hours a week. Take a walk in the park, go see a movie, take an art class, do a yoga class. Find other interests outside of your work that will ease the stress, inspire creativity and offer an outlet.

3. Lend a hand.. Nothing makes us feel better than to give to others. In this fast=paced world, what we need is comradrie and compassion, not more competition and complaining. Be selfish and offer help to someone in need today, at work or out in the world.

4. Eat good food. Food not only nourishes us physically, but nurtures us psychically. We gotta eat everyday, why not make it a meaningful ritual that enhances our life everyday? don't forget to take time out to eat that good food. How we eat is just as important as what we eat.


5. Give yourself permission to play. I am not very good at creating "fun", but play is good for me. Julia Cameron calls them artist's dates in her book, The Artist's Way. Taking time out to do what you love, what resonates with you, what inspires you, what allows you to let go and laugh, kick back and relax, be silly and be the fool. Whatever that means for you.


Here is Janice's full and original article:
www.cnbc.com/id/29956063/


copyright 2009 Alisa Barry

setting goals

If you are one of the 5% of this world, you have probably already set your goals for the year.
Of the rest of you who don't or haven't yet, fear not.

Goals can be good, but they can also become the "shoulds" that bind us to our accomplishments rather than the things that bring us beauty, soul and joy in our lives.

Everyone has a different way of setting goals or creating ways to make dreams come true. You may not even realize that you are setting goals. Perhaps you are writing lists or creating intentions or making a vision board. These are all forms of setting goals. Some are right brain, some are left brain. All are intentions to create the life you want to live, the person you imagine your self to be and become.

I am a big believer that we wont do things {consistently} unless we have some kind of reward at the other end. I like to create and call my goals by another name- rituals. I start my day by doing a few rituals that set the intention for my day. This is where I begin. This is what creates balance. Keeps my center. Maintains my calm. This is the foundation for everything else that I want to do, be and become in my life. When I am on track with my daily rituals, I am usually more apt to create the other bigger, more meaning things that I want to create for my life.

Some daily rituals that work for me:

- 10 to 15 minute meditation
- morning pages a la Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way
- writing an entry in my blog

What can you create that brings more of what you love into your life?


copyright 2009 Alisa Barry

Your Gift

We all have a gift.

It is our birthright. It is our soul's calling. It is what we were meant to do in this world.
I have been searching to understand what my gift is.
I am often flooded with ideas and inspirations, and yet I cannot seem to manifest these thoughts. Are they gifts? They feel as they are, then why can't I seem to bring them to life? Why do they linger as mere ideas in my mind, as quickly as they come, replaced by others. Or, lingering endlessly and relentlessly begging for attention. Waiting to be created into form.

Creative collaboration is what comes to mind. I begin to think of others who would be perfect to work on specific projects.
And then, I wonder if I will get lost, if the idea will no longer be my own, if we will get along, if it will turn out the way I envision.
And so, I do nothing.

Discovering the gift is about doing something. Anything. It does not have be perfect or even just right. It just has to be. Bring it, whatever you dream, into being. In whatever form. As Julia Cameron professes,

"You take care of the quantity. God will take care of the quality."

It is precisely by realizing what we can imagine, allowing helping hands and open hearts to guide us along the way, that I believe we discover our gift.

What is calling you?

Begin.


copyright 2009 Alisa Barry