It’s that time of year. We are full of resolutions for the new year….lose weight….better job and better relationship…be more positive and it goes on.

In the past I have found goals effective in motivating me in becoming the person that I want to be. I don’t always reach my goals, but I don’t think that’s as important as who I have become in the process.

This is why I say that. Think about what normally happens when you achieve your goal? You think about the next one and how do you determine what that is? Let’s say that your goal is is making more money. Let’s say that your goal is to make $200,000 in the next year which is more than you have ever made. Let’s say you make it. Then what happens. The next year you might set it at $250,000 or some number that you think is reasonable. Eventually what happens is that there will be a point when you don’t reach your goal.

Some people who I work with as their life coach or business coach don’t like to set goals because they feel that they are setting themselves up to fail. They are missing out on the real benefits of using goals. It is true that if you challenge yourself there will be goals that eventually you won’t reach. But the real question is how you feel when that happens?

Just because you don’t reach your goal doesn’t mean that you have failed. When you are not attached to your goal, the goal serves to motivate you to grow and become an expanded person.

Here’s what I mean. Let’s go back to our example of making $200000. Your number might be much higher or lower depending on what you are used to. But whatever the number, in the process of reaching for it, think about what has to happen. Who do you need to become and what do you need to do? The first thing that comes to mind is that you need to put yourself out there. You need to be vulnerable and risk having someone say “No” to you. None of us like that, but that is what it takes to grow. Get out of your comfort zone-try new things and expand your network. For some this is quite challenging.

Right now one of my goals is become a better west coast swing dancer. It means that I have to be vulnerable and dance with many new partners which brings up my fear of rejection and not being good enough. I know I have to go through this stage to experience more freedom as a dancer. And I know that this freedom in this aspect of my life will benefit me in other aspects of my life.

But think ahead for a second and imagine that the year is coming to a close. You didn’t quite reach your goal but you have become an expanded person who is more confident that believes in yourself. As you go forward in the next year, you bring this new expanded and confident you to all of your new endeavors. It’s a choice that you make over and over again.
Choose happiness. Choose to be more playful. Choose to make life more fun.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

i have been thinking about what I would say in this final blog of 2008. I also thought about what has been the biggest challenge for most of my coaching clients whether the focus has been on life coaching, business coaching or executive coaching. It really doesn’t matter since we all have the same challenges. We are bombarded by negative news. This morning after a peaceful meditation and yoga practice I went to the coffee shop and bought a paper which was strictly a habit. Of course the front page was full of bad news. I don’t know why I thought it would be any different.

So that’s the challenge…how to stay positive and to choose happiness in the midst of negative reinforcement. How do we stay upbeat as we go forward in the new year?

I thought of a zen story, which you might have heard before, that reflects this sentiment. A man is pursued by a lion to the cliffs edge. As he quickly looks over the cliffs edge he sees a strawberry vine. He grabs onto the vine and climbs down the cliff to get out of the way of the charging lion. As he dangles, he notices two mice nibbling away at the vine. He looks around and sees a ripe strawberry that he plucks and enjoys.

That’s the challenge for many of us. When things are starting to fall apart, it becomes more difficult to see a way out. From your vantage point now, you probably can’t see it. But you can certainly see that next step that is directly in front of you.

Focus on it. Take it. Choose it. When you choose, it allow yourself to also choose Happiness.

It’s a decision that you make over and over again. Every minute choose to be happy and to smile.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

This year is coming to an end. Each year has its surprises and disappointments. I don’t think any of us were prepared for the financial downturn that occurred this year.

In many ways our country was adrift, going downhill with ineffective leadership.

And then we had the election with renewed optimism. All of the events of the last eight years, paved the way for new leadership; in many ways a historic time. Without any of them we wouldn’t be where we are today.

So hear we are going forward. Perhaps you didn’t meet many of the goals that you set for yourself.

As you go forward, don’t shy away of setting new goals for the new year. But think of your goals in a different context. Rather than tangible goals such as a better job or making more money or losing that 10-20 pounds that you commit to every year,think of the personal qualities that you want to cultivate and develop. It might be that you want to become a more optimistic person, or a more fun person.

With the same determination, focus on those qualities that you intend to cultivate this year in the following way. Since I have already mentioned becoming more positive, express gratitude for the the optimism in your life; for the faith that you have. Whatever the quality that you wish to cultivate, express gratitude for having it now.

It is my intention to not worry about the future. I would use gratitude in the following way. I am grateful that it is all working out as it should. Everything is in perfect order. Develop your gratitude practice to help you experience your life in the way that you want to live your life.

You get to choose how you want live to live your life. If you want to be happy, choose happiness.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. 415.453.5016

In the life coaching or executive coaching circles, there’s always someone pontificating on the Law of Attraction. This morning I got an email…actually it was a short video. So the theory goes- our dominant thoughts determine our reality. What we focus on expands. if you want a great relationship, focus on being in the great relationship now and experience it emotionally. If you want more success in your business, focus on what’s it like to be successful. See it, feel it and believe it.

All of the writers, say do 3 things. Ask for what you want, Believe(act as if it’s already happened) and be willing to Receive.

As to my own experience, I have found that when I’ve focused on what I’ve wanted that eventually it happened. Finding my soulmate was like that. Success in my law practice was like that and now success in my career as a coach. I do have to admit, it took longer than I thought. So along the way I had plenty of time to practice patience.

But..the critics have their opinion too. For example, on the way home, you get hit by a drunk driver. Does that mean that you created the drunk driver? If you take the viewpoint that you create your reality, then you would have to say yes. And let’s say you have a serious illness. Did you create this illness? So not only are you sick, you feel guilty about being sick.

Let’s try to make sense it. I do believe that our thoughts do create our reality. They do determine what we focus on. From own experience it’s worked. But I also know that there are some things that are out of my control. I can’t control that drunk driver. I can’t control that hurricane.

So I do believe that to a large extent we do attract to us, our reality. But there are forces greater than we can comprehend that are also at work here. We don’t know exactly know what those forces are and how and when they will show up.

As I have said on many occasions, life is a great mystery. To think that there was one universal principle that was true no matter what, makes it an absolute factor in our existence. I like to think that there’s more to learn. I look forward to being surprised and yet I can still believe that if I focus on what I want, that it will happen. It makes me feel like I have a plan and I’m going in the right direction.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

We are on the happiness cycle. I recently wrote that I read in the newspaper that Happiness is Contagious. That’s good news for all of us who spend a lot of time on our personal development. By finding happiness inside ourselves we affect others.

Apparently the country of Bhutan has been aware of this for quite some time. We have been told that money can’t buy happiness but in the country of Bhutan that observation is the basis of government policy. Bhutan measures its progress not by GDP which is a measure of economic health and development by most nations but by GNH, or gross national happiness.

Gross national happiness is built on four pillars: fair and sustainable economic and social development, protection and promotion of cultural values, environmental conservation and good government.

In practice, that means any economic development project in the country is considered progress only if it does not dramatically widen the income gap between rich and poor, pollute the country’s rivers, sicken its people or line a government official’s pocket.

“Gross national happiness is not about happiness,” said Kinley Dorji, managing director of Kuensel, Bhutan’s national newspaper.

“As Buddhists, we believe happiness is an individual pursuit, gained from looking inside rather than outside. Gross national happiness is a mandate of the state to create an environment where citizens can pursue happiness.”

Has Bhutan achieved its goals? It has the highest per capita income in South Asia, with most of its money derived from sales of clean hydroelectric power to neighboring India and from luring high-end exclusivity-seeking tourists, who must spend at least $200 a day while visiting the country.

Bhutan’s rushing glacier-melt rivers are surprisingly clean and its pine, oak and hemlock forests largely intact.

Ancient traditional sports such as archery still are a passion, and more than 90% of Bhutanese have access to free health care and education.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

When you are in the process of gathering your tribe, which eventually becomes your natural way of living, thoseamazing juicy moments occur quite frequently. Yesterday I wrote about Louise and her sister. That was later on in the evening. But it was how it began that was also profound.

This was the two Bev’s second annual Loveland holiday party. As we were sitted in a circle Bev read a poem that struck a chord in me and made me say to myself that I wanted a copy. The next day she faxed it to me. So here it is. It’s a reminder to slow down and get your priorities straight.

Take time to Think
It is the source of all power.

Take time to play
It is the source of perpetual youth.

Take time to Read
It is the fountain of wisdom

Take time to Pray
It is the greatest power on earth.

That time to love and be loved
It is a God given gift.

Take time to be Friendly
It is the road to happiness.

Take time to Laugh
It is the music of the soul.

Take time to Give
It is too short a day to be selfish.

Take time to Work
It is the price of success.

Take time to do Charity
It is the key to heaven.

JOURNEY ON

MARK
eJOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

It’s an exciting time….that’s what I keep saying to friends who I come in contact with and they agree. When I say it there’s part of me that hesitates. Yes there’s a lot of uncertainty, but we live in a historic time.

There’s more fear out there than since 911. The financial system is on the verge of collapse. And in some ways it feels as if we are on the verge of a renaissance.

That’s what I’m visualizing…a renaissance for ourselves, and for the world where we work together as one.

Yes it starts with the economy…but that wholeness also has the world working together as one.

I felt good all weekend. Nothing happened in the world of consequence. Yet I felt good inside. I continue to do the inner work.

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

It’s finally over! Do you feel any different? For quite some time, most everyone I know was focusing on the election. Most were cautiously optimistic. We wanted to believe but we had been hurt and disappointed so many times that we were afraid to let ourselves go. And most all of us are ready to move on with our lives.

The mood is certainly different than it’s been. Last month in A Voice for Optimism, I wrote that having faith is a moment-to-moment choice that one makes over and over again. Making that choice is an expression of personal freedom. Perhaps it’s the ultimate challenge.

Quite often I have thought about the nature of personal freedom. What resonates the loudest is that personal freedom is freedom from negative thinking. In light of all of the negative reinforcement out there, it’s a worthy challenge that we all have been working on to varying degrees of success. If you are questioning how you are doing, ask yourself how much you worry.

Intellectually we know that we have a choice as to how we see our lives. We know that it’s not the event or circumstance that causes us pain but the meaning we give that event. The good news is that we cultivating a shift in consciousness we can transform how we feel and think about life.

Let me share with you what I mean. Since we can’t determine what is in the news, our only choice is to change our perspective as to how we view these events. With all of the news about banks failing or about to fail, let me introduce you to a different type of bank-it’s an inner bank that I call the B.A.N.K of Well-Being. It’s our internal barometer as to how we are feeling about “life.” When our account has a nice surplus we are optimistic and believe that we can handle most challenges. Our job is to be mindful of how easily our account can fluctuate.

Your account easily gets drained when there is a run of negative news and you focus on what might go wrong. No matter what’s going on in your life, there is always going to be something that can negatively affect you. Just think about how easily you get plugged in when you read the paper or watch the news. Yet wanting to tune into the news, whether it’s the paper, TV or the Internet, can become an addiction. I have to admit I was one of those who was getting addicted to news about the election.

There are many other situations that have the potential to drain your account. It might be a toxic relationship or work situation. No matter what you do, the stresses of everyday living have the potential to drain your account. No matter how careful and strategic you are, you can’t be perfect. Trying to be perfect further drains your account.

When stress drains you, you don’t have the energy or fortitude to handle the normal circumstances of your life. You overreact and aren’t able to see the big picture. In essence your personal, spiritual and emotional accounts have gotten drained.

You need to replenish your account by depositing good energy in the form of positive thoughts, healthy food, exercise, a spiritual discipline, inspiration, and supportive friends. Meditation and communing in nature have always had a healing affect on my being. My attitude about life dramatically changed once I began meditating many years ago. Everyday in some way I am making a deposit. I know that you have your own way of replenishing your account.
The BANK (Beyond Negative Thinking) of Well Being is a reminder to me that I have a choice. It’s a choice about being conscious that I make over and over again.

Becoming conscious is not only a choice about how you want to live your life, but it’s also a choice about being that person who actually lives that life. It’s a choice about which voice you choose to listen to; the voice of judgment sometimes referred as your “gremlin” or the voice of inspiration, which becomes your “guiding light.”

To help you make a quantum shift from becoming that person to being that person, think about what you can do to replenish your account? Imagine being that person whose account is brimming over.

We all have many good intentions that never get acted upon. They remain in our mind as another good idea. There is no better time than now to change that. What is one action that you are willing to take now? Who is going to hold you accountable to take that action?

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

What do you do to get going in the morning? Today I did what I like to do…started with my morning program. Meditation…yoga and a little tea afterwards…but I still feel like my energy is dragging. So how to get out of it. More caffeine is one way….but it depletes the rest of me and I feel jittery the rest of the day.

Getting stimulated naturally is another way. Moving usually seems to work…whether its exercising or dancing or walking around in the brisk air. Make sure you get that cardio in.

I have been creative lately with creating more movement in my life. If I need to drive to town I’ll park a few blocks away so I’ll get in a little exercise…or if I’m really up to it I’ll ride my bike….It’s a beautiful day for that. There’s one more thing that usually works…some uptempo music…..

There always is a time of the day when you are dragging….how you get out of it can make a big difference in the quality of your life and in your level of wellness.

By staying energized there is an extra benefit…it’s the best thing you can do to reduce stress.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow,JD, is an Executive and Life Coach, who inspires others to believe in themselves. A former successful trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. Signup! http://www.inspirepossibility.com

Fortunately you don’t have to do it alone. What makes the journey exciting and fulfilling are the people you meet along the way. It might be years later when you realize the significance of a particular meeting. Even though someone might have changed your thinking about how you see the world, you might not even remember their name or what they looked like. I remember such a meeting.

When I was in my twenties, there was a café in Sausalito that I frequented, which we called the “No Name.” It had an intellectual “air” about it that was different than most cafes and bars. It was not uncommon to see many of the regulars smoking a pipe and quoting Alan Watts, the famous philosopher and author of that era, who lived in one of the house boats.

Quite often, when you walked into the café, you would notice several people engrossed in a game of chess. On many occasions I was one of them.

One day a stranger whose name I never got, so let’s just call him Mr. X, engaged me in conversation and said to me: “It’s all energy.” At the time I didn’t know what he was talking about, but for many years I kept thinking about that meeting and the significance of what he said.

In today’s culture think of the number of books that refer to the concept of energy. Most prosperity books integrate this teaching into their message. It goes like this. “thoughts are things…which are a cluster of cells coming together. Cells are electrons and protons vibrating at different speeds which attract to them a similar vibration…of a similar thought. Many of these concepts, which I first became aware many years ago, have become integrated into the language of mainstream society.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow,JD, is an Executive and Life Coach, who inspires others to believe in themselves. A former successful trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. Signup! http://www.inspirepossibility.com