The Direction of Your Dreams

Thursday May 29, 2014 #631

“You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.” ~James Allen

The speed and the quality of your journey to achievement and success are largely determined by how you spend your time and resources.  It is easy to drift into long periods of doing what gives us comfort and pleasure, which could include excessive TV/internet viewing, overindulgence in comfort foods or alcohol, gambling, gossiping and other negative but fun social behaviors, etc.  These are known as controlling desires, because they pull us into their web of comfort but add no value to our quest for achievement.

But it is up to us to decide to limit or even eliminate these controlling desires by focusing on those actions that pull you toward the positive achievements you aspire to.  When our thoughts are dominated by our dreams, it is easier – but still difficult – to ignore the natural pull toward those activities that waste our time and resources.

Start each day with powerful thoughts of what you want to achieve and both what you must do, and what you must avoid today to move you in the direction of your dreams.

Abundance

Thursday December 26, 2013 #588

 

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”

 

~Eckhart Tolle

It is a natural part of being human to strive for more:  more wealth, more possessions, more pleasure…  more, more, more!  Most of us also realize that “more” of these things do not usually have anything to do with what we really want:  more happiness, more joy, more love, more meaning.  And in fact, the opposite is true:  The more we experience happiness, joy, love, and meaning, the more likely it is that we will find these manifested in wealth and other material things.

 

Begin your journey with gratitude and acknowledgment of the many blessings you already possess, including the many people around you.  If you can feel this authentically, you will find your path to tangible abundance clear and aided by both your own efforts and by the gifts of those you impact.

Difficult Choices

Tuesday October 1, 2013 #563

“Even when people are more successful than they had imagined, nothing is ever achieved without giving something up.”

 

~Judith M. Bardwick

Success is about choices.  Achievement comes not only from focusing on those actions necessary for success, but perhaps more importantly by intentionally saying “no” to those things, activities, and even people who do not add value to your quest.  These choices can be very difficult. You may have to say “no” to pleasures, to enjoyable activities and relationships.  Knowing you will have to give things up to get what you strive for, be careful what you decide you want.  The spoils of victory must outweigh the cost of what is lost.

Your Servant Heart

Thursday August 29, 2013 #554

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know. The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.”

 ~Dr. Albert Schweitzer

 

For those of you chasing happiness as defined by wealth, pleasure, and accumulation of ‘things’, be forewarned:  None of these alone create joy and lasting contentment.  True happiness seems to be inextricably attached to a service orientation.   This can certainly mean traditional service such as charitable works and philanthropy.  More often though it is simply an attitude of service or what is sometimes referred to as a servant heart.  In practical terms, this simply means caring for others’ welfare above your own. 

As a leader, this is referred to as servant leadership – the idea that the majority of a great leader’s focus is on understanding his people deeply, identifying strengths and sources of motivation, aligning roles with these in mind, and providing tools for their success such as time, technology, education, coaching, mentoring, and even getting out of their way if that is what is most beneficial.

You can apply this servant heart orientation to all aspects of your life – partner, parent, community organizations, and your work place.  If you do so consistently and from a place of authenticity, you will likely find that elusive happiness you seek, and more often than not, wealth, pleasure and the ability to accumulate things.  You actually can have it all.

Strange ironies

Tuesday November 20, 2012 #473

 

“It is one of the strange ironies of this strange life that those who work the hardest, who subject themselves to the strictest discipline, who give up certain pleasurable things in order to achieve a goal, are the happiest men.”

 

~Brutus Hamilton

 

So many people dream of getting rich somehow (usually with no effort, i.e. lottery, gambling, inheritance) with the goal of never having to work and living a life of constant leisure.  This always amazes me since there is little to no evidence that doing ‘nothing’ creates happiness.  In fact, the opposite is proven to be true:  Happiness comes from having a cause and working tirelessly in achievement toward that cause, and then only when surrounded by people who share the journey with them. 

 

So don’t look for the easy way.  Determine the hard work that needs to be attended to and get on with it – your happiness and joy will accompany the effort.

Allow room for spontaneity

Tuesday October 5, 2010 #260

 “The essence of pleasure is spontaneity”

~Germaine Greer

You can have a nice experience when everything is planned out just so, and things happen as you expect them to.  But real pleasure only occurs when you are surprised by an experience that wasn’t anticipated.  If you think about your most pleasurable experiences, you see the truth in this.  The lesson?  Don’t over plan your life.  Allow room for spontaneity, and therefore life’s pleasures, to be a regular part of your life.