Working with Wisdom

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How to Have a Really Happy New Year!

In the book, The How of Happiness, author Sonja Lyubomirsky recommends 12 scientifically proven ways to boost our happiness. They are:

1. Express Gratitude


2. Cultivate Optimism


3. Avoid Overthinking and Social Comparison


4. Practice Acts of Kindness


5. Nurture Social Relationships


6. Develop Strategies for Coping


7. Learn to Forgive


8. Increase Flow Experiences


9. Savor Life's Joys


10. Commit to Your Goals


11. Practice Religion and Spirituality


12. Take Care of Your Body

I resonated with all of them. Do you?

Abraham Lincoln said that most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. To make your new year happier, I recommend you identify three of these strategies that you already do, appreciate the positive impact they have on your attitude and continue to do them. For me, that's express gratitude, cultivate optimism and nurture social relationships.

Then, consider three more strategies to start or recommit to for the new year. Mine are savor life's joys (stay in the moment), commit to your goals (I've got some bodacious ones for 2011!) and take care of your body (back to my yoga practice).

What do you already do and what will you begin to do in 2011? I hope you'll share your wise strategies by posting your comments here and inspire others. Have a Really Happy New Year!

Do You Haiku?

Reminding People
How Wise They Are So They Can
Enjoy Work and Life

Since I was a child writing for my elementary school newspaper, I've always been fascinated by the simplicity and power of haiku. I recently reconnected with this five-seven-five syllable poetry in a conversation with my clever colleague and conscious connector Emile Paradis of RPM Advisors and The Referral Institute. That inspired me to write the Working with Wisdom haiku above.

Here's what Emile shared about haiku in his blog. I hope you'll read this and be inspired to write your own about who you are and what you do. Simplicity is often the best path to clarity.

_____________________________________

Haiku and the Art of Business Planning

I was thinking this morning that what the world needs is more haiku. It's just hard to find places where you can get a good dose of haiku when you need it. So, to help fill a glaring void, I'd like to talk about the benefits of haiku and, hopefully, encourage you to access your inner self enough to express your thoughts and stimulate contemplation.

Actually, what set this all off was "Mission Haiku: the Poetry of Mission Statements," an article by Chris Finney in The Nonprofit Quarterly. Before you check off the 'net, please stay with me a little longer.

We've all struggled with trying to create mission and vision statements that didn't sound trite, lame and wordy, and that expressed the passion we felt for our business. Usually, however, these statements did come off as trite, lame and wordy, but we figured they were "close enough." I've worked with a few hundred folks (myself included) and getting something down that really hits the spot is not easy.

Basically, poetry is a form of communication that requires focus and concentrates thought into a few, well-oiled words. That being true, haiku ups the ante and only allows three lines and 17 syllables. Talk about having to be concise, clear and to the point! Even if your haiku isn't world class (read on), it is a great exercise in condensing your mission. It will express the essence of what you do.

Here are two attempts:

RPM Advisors-

Helping Others
Identify and Connect
With Target Markets

DISC-

Understanding Self
Observing Others
Paths to New Relationships

Certainly not stuff that will bring tears or flashes of enlightenment. However, it made me consider the essence of my business, stripping away all the other "important" stuff I'm afraid to omit. The same stuff that confuses others (and myself) about the core of what I really do.

So, give it a try. You may feel a little stretched by the exercise but that's a good thing, isn't it?

_________________________________

Grateful for People
Like Wise Emile Paradis
Who Get Me to Stretch

What's So Good about "Good Business"?

"Good Business: Putting Spiritual Principles into Practice at Work" (Unity House, 2010) is an inspiring compilation of essays from 22 conscious business leaders. I share my "CRAVE Your Goals!" formula for success in Chapter 20.

Editors Charlotte Shelton and Martha Lynn set the tone in the book's introduction: "Ethical, accountable, responsible, collaborative, service-oriented, vision-focused and mission-based are words that describe good business. In short, good business is principled business--business that recognizes there are foundational principles in life that cannot be violated without great consequences."

As the economy begins to recover, those who lead large companies and run small businesses are recognizing that employees, customers and stakeholders expect much more. Conscious and compassionate organizations that appreciate and encourage sound business practices like meditation, gratitude, affirmations, visualization and taking care of the environment have a distinct competitive edge. The book highlights SAS Institute, Timberland Shoes, the Container Store, BioGenex, Tyson's Foods and Malden Mills--enlightened, successful companies that prove doing good is good business.

Here are some excerpts that resonated with me.

• From Daryl Conner: We each travel within a particular current that brings us into contact with the very people, situations and circumstances that enable us to learn the lessons waiting for us and use them as a catalyst for growth...We get into trouble when we decide our egos know more about what's best for us rather than allow ourselves to follow the natural flow of the Divine guidance we're offered.
• From Bil and Cher Holton: Enlightened business leaders know that all work tasks, procedures and organizational objectives have sacred components, whether they involve entering or collecting data, monitoring business processes, speaking to customers, driving company vehicles or emptying trash receptacles. Each task, every molecule of effort, is important in a soul-managed work environment. And the employees who perform these functions are valued and respected for being in alignment with the sacred dimensions of work.
• From Martha Lynn: The key is courage. Do we have the courage to set intentions that come from a place of love rather than lack or self-preservation? Do we have the courage to self-observe and take responsibility and be accountable for our thoughts, feelings and actions? Do we have the courage to shift from habits we have relied on for decades--our frame of reference for how the world works?
• From Brian Tracy: Since fear represents the greatest obstacle to creativity and high performance, when businesses drive out fear, they create an environment where creativity and high performance are free to flourish.
• From Charlotte Shelton: The skill of quantum feeling has enormous impact on issues such as motivation, stress, burnout and job satisfaction. Organizational life will change significantly when enough of us can release our dependence on external rewards and take full responsibility for bringing purpose, passion and vitality to our jobs by choosing appreciation rather than frustration, faith rather than fear, and accountability rather than victimization. I can't wait!

Neither can I. How about you?

Spring Cleaning for Success

Out of the 10 universal principles in "Divine Wisdom at Work" and the five that make up the "CRAVE Your Goals!" formula, the one that resonates most with people is: Clean Out the Clutter.

That's because clutter is a universal challenge. It distracts and confuses us and drains our energy. It gets in the way of what's most important. It often keeps us from achieving our goals.

There's the physical clutter of a messy office, a closet filled with clothes that no longer fit our bodies and/or our current lives, and shelves at home with books we'll never read and gifts we don't like but feel obliged to display. Am I hitting a nerve?

There's the technical clutter of information overload, too many emails, e-newsletters we'll never open and an over-reliance on our cell phone.

Then, there's the emotional clutter of the what ifs, the regrets and resentments, the things we haven't forgiven about someone else or ourselves, the unnecessary obligations, and toxic people who zap our energy.

The law is very simple: "The universe abhors a vacuum." So, when we clear out the clutter, we create the space for the universe to fill with what serves our highest good. For example, if you want more ideal clients, release the ones that drive you crazy. Better ones are waiting--I promise.

Capitalize on this envigorating time of year to "spring clean" for success. Share on this blog what clutter you've released and the gifts that have come from it.

What Treasure are You Searching for?

Affirmations are one of the most powerful tools to keep you focused and motivated as you pursue your goals and dreams. In this video clip from my "CRAVE Your Goals!" presentation at the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce's Success Seminar, I share how a modern-day treasure hunter capitalized on the power of affirmations. You can, too!

How FarmVille Changed My Life

Or — How I used FarmVille to change my mind.
By Cathleen Hulbert

(A mutual friend, Julie Herron Carson, recently introduced me to Cathy through this blog post. I could tell we were kindred spirits, playing with the sometimes challenging task of staying positive. I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I did.)

For those of you who use Facebook, it might interest you to know that FarmVille is now the most popular application on this social networking site. A million people use it. Some pay actual money to get things for their farms. But you don’t have to.

I love Facebook but I resisted this game for a time. After all, I am busy with “important things” (or Important Things as it would be said in the books of Pooh). I am a healthcare social worker, a slayer of dragons and a writer. No time to waste, says the adult side of me. But I do have a lively inner child. And there is a very bright, active 9-year-old in my house. Games are played with a positive purpose, computer games included. Fun is an absolute requirement before bedtime, particularly on stressful days. We became neighbors on FarmVille, exchanging tips and stories about how things were going on our farms. It was fun chewing the fat with this kid I adore and sharing our thoughts about farming. That is how all of this began for me.

So a typical FarmVille spread includes these things: Horses, cows, chickens, goats, pigs and maybe a circus elephant thrown in for fun. Crops are a staple. That’s the main point of the game, the planting and harvesting of crops. Farm bling and buildings are present on the typical virtual farm. They include toys such as benches, hay, wheelbarrows, a toolshed, a workshop, a covered rest tent with a little drink inside, wagons and even houses, all of which can be bought at the marketplace with points that you earn for being a good farmer. When it’s time to do something productive and farm-like to one of the cute animals, say milking it or collecting its eggs, they actually get a little halo to tell you they need some attention.

It’s sweet, really. Can you imagine your spouse and your children getting a halo when they needed some attention? It sure beats sprouting horns.

Anyway, the point of this blog is that I have noticed a highly positive shift in my life experiences since I started playing FarmVille. No, I have not lost my mind. And no, I’m not being paid by the FarmVille designers to say this. If I knew how to actually reach them I would complain about the fact that there are no Farmville cats and dogs. Why are their elephants, but not dogs? But I digress.

There are different types of crops from which to choose. You can create your own crop shapes (not necessarily crop circles, but something like it), choosing symbols that mean something to you. The T-shape is the Mayan symbol for spirit. That’s one of the symbols on my farm.

So I started thinking. What if playing FarmVille could play into my not-evil plan to change my negative thoughts into positive ones? And what if my time management skills came into play, allowing me to accomplish “meditate daily,” “radically change your outlook on life” and “have some good, clean fun” all in one simple little game? The wheels started to turn as I calculated the time-saving benefits of playing FarmVille.
Soon I had jotted down some little mantras to go with each crop that I planted and harvested. I say them to myself while I work on the farm a few minutes in the morning and a few minutes in the evening.

Most of my mantras are about planting and harvesting, but when I’m tending to the animals I see them as book agents producing fantastic results for me. Eggs are contract offers in this little mind game. Milk hasn’t been assigned yet, but I’m still thinking about it. Trees get fruit that has to be harvested, and while I’m working on the trees I repeat to myself that I am standing tall in the world. Pumpkins equal “abundance of good things.” The grapes are “grapes of laugh.” When I plant cotton I’m thinking about “cotton-pickin’ fun with all of the success in my life.” When I’m harvesting those cute purple eggplants I’m thinking about “egg-citing things coming my way!”

Pineapples allow me to say over and over, “Hawaii, here I come.” This is relevant because my novel takes place in Hawaii. While I’m thinking positively, I see myself spending more time in that lovely place when my book becomes a screenplay then becomes a movie. Hay, it’s going to happen.

When I’m harvesting those strawberries, I know that I will be berry happy when I realize how blessed I am. I have not yet reached the mastery level that allows me to plant corn, and many of you might be thinking that there already is plenty of corn here. It’s okay. I have to be this way sometimes. It helps restore balance to my universe.

So when the aloe vera blossoms show up, I say over and over that all is very well, or “aloe vera well” if I feel resistance and want to sneak one past my subconscious. If you do this enough, your subconscious mind resists less and less and actually seems to get into it. At least mine has.

Therefore, I just know it, deep in my heart, that FarmVille is one of the reasons that I have started experiencing incredibly wonderful things. In fact, wonderful things seem to be lining up, like rows and rows of crops, to manifest in my life. (No agents are waiting to be milked, but I’m still working on that one.)

There’s nothing magic about it. What is magical is that I found a way to change my way of thinking with a simple little game. I must have been really ready.

Skeptical? Squash those thoughts and have fun. Have some grapes of laugh. Pig out on joy. Horse around for the heck of it. And plant your dreams in fertile ground: the happy playground of the mind.

Cathleen Hulbert, LCSW, is a clinical social worker in the healthcare field and a free-lance journalist with a background in newspaper reporting. She also is the author of “The First Lamp — A Story of Cosmic Illumination,” a time-travel tale about love, forgiveness and redemption. She lives in Roswell, GA. For more information about the author and the book, go to www.cathleenhulbert.com.

What's on YOUR Success List?

In my December Working with Wisdom newsletter, I encouraged readers to delay writing their New Year's resolutions until they had written their 2009 success list. Why? Because you're much more likely to be focused and confident that you can achieve new goals when you first acknowledge and celebrate your past accomplishments. Few of us take the time to do that.

Start by making room by writing numbers one through 20 down the left margin of your paper so you'll list at least 20 successes. Consider what you're most proud of this year, including family and friends, health, work, finances and fun. Then, go deeper to the lessons learned and gifts that come from disappointments and setbacks. Once your list is complete, share it with those you trust and encourage them to do the same. Celebrate all you've accomplished. Now you're ready to write your resolutions!

The successes on my list include improving my Working with Wisdom website, launching my short-term, one-on-one Wisdom Mentoring for Entrepreneurs program, creating an 11-part webinar series called "Working with Wisdom for Project Managers" for PDUs2Go, losing my excess weight and spending nearly two months at the beach. What are some of your successes this year?

Time to Give Thanks

As Thanksgiving approaches, thoughts turn to gratitude. For some, it's the once-a-year holiday ritual around the dinner table as each person proclaims what they're most thankful for. Family. Health. My job. This meal.

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude throughout the year, however, is nothing short of transformative. That's because of the universal law that states: What you focus on expands. In other words, what you appreciate appreciates. And, where attention goes, energy flows.

Here are three ways to demonstrate the power of gratitude.

1) Feeling fearful? Who isn't these days? The good news is that fear and gratitude cannot coexist. The next time you're worrying about money, your business or your children, stop and take a moment to count your blessings. One of the best ways to get a good night's sleep is to write in a gratitude journal before bedtime.

2) Dealing with challenging relationships? It might be your boss, client, spouse or teenager. Refrain from criticism (what you think, as well as what you say) for one week. Instead, focus on the qualities you most appreciate about that person--even if it's just that they teach you to be more patient. You'll begin to notice that the energy will shift and the relationship will be more positive and productive.

3) Turbocharge your goals. As you begin to plan for the New Year and list your resolutions, be thankful for what is and what will be in anticipation of your success.

For more inspiration, check out my friend Vanessa Lowry's "Days of Gratitude" blog.

Stressed at Work? Here's Help!

Stress at work and home has been at an all-time high lately. It's easy to consider this feeling as normal. But it's not and it's hurting you.

You may be less focused and productive, and more likely to get annoyed at clients, coworkers and your boss. You feel tired and achy and out of sorts. Although we can't always control what happens to us--from growing responsibilities at work to a dwindling portfolio--we can control how we respond.

You know what you should do, like eating right, drinking lots of water, exercising, being around positive people and taking time to play. Here are three more ways to alleviate stress in your life without even leaving your office.

1) Take a nature break. Got ten minutes to spare? Go to www.lime.com/meditation_room and choose your environment, from a forest or winter wonderland to space or the Zen room. The music, sounds and images will take you away and bring you back more relaxed and centered.

2) Breathe. One of the best things I learned from my yoga practice is alternate breathing. It helps balance both sides of the brain and charges it with extra oxygen so you can think clearer. With one hand, simply cover one nostril with your thumb and inhale deep through the other nostril. Then, close the other nostril with your next two fingers and exhale through the open nostril. Inhale through the same nostril and repeat. After a few times, you'll feel energized. You just might not need that coffee break after all.

3) Control your environment. Whenever possible, design your work environment to be stress free. I burn lavender and eucalyptus candles at my home office. You can get the same scentual effect from potpourri or a scented bar of soap. Surround yourself with your favorite music and pleasant images like family photos and nature scenes. And, remember to clean out the clutter that distracts you and drains your energy. Learn about Feng Shui to create more balance and harmony in your office and home.

Got a stress relief strategy that works for you? Please share it.