If you knew you’d succeed, what would you do differently?

 

In my recent post, “Let go…,” I listed 10 things to release to be happy. What other baggage could we add to this list? The first thing that comes to mind is: envy. Oh, if we’d choose to find gratitude in our hearts for who we are right now. That instead of being critical over our perceived flaws or weaknesses, we would delight in our abilities, strengths and uniqueness. During a recent hike into the mountains, as I often do, I poured out a heavy heart within the solitude of the surrounding desert landscape. While I searched my soul, I left all my unmet expectations and disappointment, hurt and frustrations, right there on the trail. And walked away with this revelation: to change my situation (see #4 in aforementioned post) could simply mean that I change me. Not with the intent to please someone else, but with the hope that any self-improvement trickles into those lives around me.

What situation would you change if you knew you’d succeed?

The pursuit of happiness

[Image credit: khunaspix]

When I review many of the blogs I’ve written, I see the topic of happiness come up a lot — the pursuit of and the desire for.  Conducting a cyber search reveals more of the same.  Thankfully, I’ve discovered those things in my life which bring me joy in small doses.  But what about a life filled with minute-by-minute happiness?  And what does being happy truly mean?  For me, the definition is subjective.  What makes one person happy may do nothing for the next person.  Some say it’s a deliberate choice, while others base their happiness on their circumstances.  I’m learning that a life of pure happiness means living transparently rather than simply surviving.  And that this only happens by moving forward in all my good, bad and ugly, grateful for the precious few traveling with me — the ones who accept my flaws and celebrate my strengths along the way.  Because the more I can be myself, the closer I become to minute-by-minute happiness.

What’s your definition of happiness?

Opposites attract

[Image credit: digitalart]

I’ve always figured we gravitate toward people who are similar to us.  I think that unspoken rule generally holds true, but over the past couple of years, I’ve met a few women who, once-upon-a-time, I don’t know that our paths would’ve ever crossed.  Because, at first glance, we may appear to be polar opposites.  However, we’ve each chosen to see the other with eyes and hearts filled with unbiased and unconditional acceptance in order to connect and explore our similarities — while we also embrace and respect our differences.  After all, we would not be the women (and men) we are without both sides of the equation.  And, thankfully, when my weaknesses threaten to bring me down, one of them is always there to lift me up by highlighting my strengths.  I’m ever grateful to these friends who have helped me more clearly see who I am.  Through them, I’ve learned that family is not simply related by blood.

Do you have at least one “least likely” of friends?

Maximizing our strengths

[Image credit: Stuart Miles]

Not too long ago, I listened to a talk given on the topic of strengths and weaknesses.  The gist of the message revolved around those assessments we take which give an idea of our employment aptitude: what we would do best and where we would fit in.  One of the results discussed that instead of working on our weaknesses, perhaps we should maximize, or build up, our strengths.  It went on to recommend surrounding ourselves with others who then complement our strengths in order to successfully get the job done.   Whether we’re at work or in our personal lives, I think this is a viable concept to consider.  Of course, if we have a weakness like control or anger issues, it wouldn’t hurt to work on improvement in this area.  Maybe focusing on what we do right will result in doing it even better, ultimately minimizing the negative while emphasizing the positive.   It’s definitely worth contemplating.

Do you prefer to maximize your strengths or focus on your weaknesses?