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"Obituary" Thanks!
On those messages I send out which look like this one does (as opposed to those I send which are only simple text), I can track the number of "unique opens" and the number times the E-mails get forwarded. The message I sent out back at the end of May, with the subject of "Write Your Obituary" had about the highest numbers in terms of "opens" and "forwards" of any message I've sent. Cool! I'm glad that message resonated, and I'm glad it was shared with others as well. (If you're ever looking for it again, it can be found over on the SMBHC Links page.) By the way, in case you haven't checked, Roz Savage is doing quite well (considering she's about 3 degrees north of the equator and dealing with the unpredictability of the "inter-tropical convergence zone"), is about 70 days into her voyage, has traveled over 2000 miles since leaving Hawaii, and is coming up on 900,000 oar strokes. FUN!
Today, however, I'll be (briefly) addressing a HUGE, VERY important and TIMELY topic, which I'm guessing is in some way on everyone's mind these days (including mine), and that is the topic of "jobs," what we do for employment, and even more importantly, how we use our time and live our life.
Why Would This Be On My Mind?
Well, not only am I influenced by the thoughts in the mass consciousness (as we all are), but I've also been devoting a lot of time and energy interviewing a bunch of really great people in seeking to fill the External Programs Director position here at SMBHC... AND of course we all know people who have recently lost their jobs, are seeking employment, would like to change their employment, or are not "happy" at their present job (for many reasons).
Let's "Do the Numbers"
"Given the amount of time we spend working, failure
to find meaningful, significant work is not just a minor
misstep in living out God's plan; it is a deeper kind of
failure that can make each day feel like living death."
— Dan Miller: Inspirational speaker and author
I love that quote! No mincing words there. Just so we understand that first line about the "amount of time we spend working," please take a moment and put pencil to paper and figure out how many hours per week are taken up by what you devote to job/work. Add it ALL up -- the driving time, work time, lunches, prep time, overtime, classes, seminars, and so on. If you're "typical" (and living in the USA) the number you come up with is by far the biggest slice out of the 168 hour week (often even more than sleeping). [I always tell people as a self-employed business person I've got a great job, and that I only have to work half-days -- 12 HOURS!] With this "activity" (for most of us) occupying such a big part of our life, you can be certain I ask every client in their intake interview not only "what they do," but "do you like it?" [I haven't compiled any statistics, but it seems to be about a 50-50 split on whether people like whatever it is they "do."]
You Want a "Job???"
"If you don't design your own life plan,
chances are you'll
fall into someone else's plan.
And guess what they
have planned for you? NOT MUCH."
— Jim Rohn: American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker
A few months ago I mentioned in one of these messages about my brother being "shown the door" after being on the job for about 25 years, and I know a lot of other people in very similar situations -- I'm sure you know some as well [maybe it's even YOU]. One thing I've noticed, though, is that no one I'm aware of who has experienced a recent involuntary change in their employment, has ever said, "That job was the love of my life." Quite the opposite, really. It was "a job." It was something they did, where they put in their time (often in a less than enthusiastic manner), so they could get money, insurance, or whatever. Those things people receive in exchange for that major chunk of time out of their life are referred to as the "golden handcuffs" because it keeps people bound to the job, even though they'd rather be doing something else... something (hopefully) more in line with their "heart's desire." Someone "putting in their time" on a "job" they really don't like is NOT operating out of integrity, and integrity and ethics (I hope you've noticed) are rapidly becoming paramount in their importance worldwide.
Old Thinking
"We can let circumstances rule us,
or we can take
charge and rule our lives from within."
— Earl Nightingale: Author, The Strangest Secret, Lead the Field
Usually one of the first things a person thinks when their "job" ends (however that happens) is, "I need to find another job." That thinking is so engrained in our culture that we don't even give it a second thought or consider there may (and should) be other options. And in those options I'm NOT suggesting to "sit around and be a bum all day" or "collect unemployment and live off 'the system' for as long as possible," or engage in illegal, immoral, or unethical activities to get one's needs met. I'm just saying there are alternatives to being "an employee," and if a person has been looking for work, yet not securing (hopefully meaningful) employment, it could very well be that the "higher self" is wanting those alternatives to be explored.
Opportunities (Not Problems)
"No one has to wait for a sudden burst of intelligence, a bolt of lightning,
or a mystical experience. ...With what you have and where you are, you can begin the process of finding productive, meaningful, and profitable work."
— Dan Miller: Inspirational speaker and author
There are many types of sessions I do with people, but when it comes right down to it, they're really all "self-empowerment and self-mastery" sessions with just a different wrapper on them. After all, if people were self-empowered, and possessed self-mastery, they would be able to do pretty much anything and wouldn't need a session. With the current state of mass dis-empowerment, however, people are seeing way too many problems and obstacles, instead of more opportunities available to each person than has likely ever existed in (recorded) history. (Although the plethora or opportunities can also be overwhelming, which can lead to inaction, so please keep reading on how to narrow the field.) The key to any situation is how one THINKS about the situation. In every situation problems and opportunities can both be found. Which ONE will you pick?
Energy Never Lies
"There is nothing more marvelous than doing something you love
to do and getting paid for it. It ceases to become work, money,
and effort; and it becomes fun, your expression of the joy of life."
— Stuart Wilde: Author and lecturer on consciousness and awareness
Sounds like a lot of FUN, doesn't it? For lack of any better term for it, let's call it a person's "passion." Sometimes we're able to land a job which coincides with our passion, but more often that not, that doesn't happen. So then we have a choice: "job" (taking that huge slice of time from your life) or "passion" (usually relegated to any "spare time" -- if there's even any of that).
One of the things I often hear from people, though, is that they're not even sure what their passion is, so I'll give you a few pointers to help you along the way to finding it....
First off, energy never lies. Energy CAN'T lie, because energy doesn't have any free will -- it can only reflect what IS. So, in finding your passion (assuming you don't have a clue what it may turn out to be) you'll need to experiment. Try doing some things which you think you may like to do, have a natural ability for, or have an interest in. At the start of doing each of these various things, however, take note of your "energy" (are you really "up," dragging, or somewhere in the middle). Then when you're done with whatever it was you were going to do, check your energy again. If it's lower than when you started, this is NOT leading you in the direction of your passion. [How many people come home tired and down at the end of their day at work? Not good!] If the energy is the same as when you began, that's not too bad and you could be heading in the right direction. If you've actually got MORE energy at the conclusion of whatever you did (and feel like you could do that 20 out of 24 hours and never get tired of it)-- GREAT (you're on the passion path)!
Here's another thing to explore:
Try to recall being very young -- as young as you can recall. Now think of what you liked to do back then which really "tripped your trigger" or made the hours of the day just fly by. Now recall how doing whatever-it-was made you FEEL. Lock in on the feeling, as it's VERY important. Now, if you could do SOMETHING right now which would cause you have that same great feeling as when you were young and "in the zone" -- what would that thing or activity be? (It's possible a few things may even come to mind.)
Three Simple Steps
"You have to 'be' before you can 'do,'
and 'do' before you can 'have.' "
— Zig Ziglar: Is a motivational author and speaker
BE... DO... HAVE.
You have to first BE who you are, yet there's actually another step before BE, and that is that before you can BE who you are you must first KNOW who you are [and knowing who you are is such an immense topic that I'll save that for a future E-mail].
Then what you DO naturally follows from the BEing.
And then you will HAVE (whatever).
Unfortunately the world has got people programmed all wrong. People end up DOing to HAVE... and then they HAVE to DO... so they can HAVE....
And the cycle goes on and on. And then people wonder why they have dis-eases and don't feel good. They don't know who they are, so they aren't BEing who they are, so their vibrations and consciousness are anything but harmonious! (Talk about an out-of-balance system!)
New Paradigm... New Thought
"You cannot change your destination overnight,
but you can change your direction overnight."
— Jim Rohn: Entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker
Many years ago when the "Protestant Work Ethic" (which is so firmly entrenched here in the upper-midwest) got its grip on the consciousness of people, the planet was a much different place. Fewer people, less technology, and different energy [and I'm not talking about steam or electric energy]. It no longer serves us to get a narrowly defined education (which only teaches how to DO something, and not how to reason and THINK), because the jobs people are being trained for may be obsolete before the ink is dry on the degree/diploma. Rather than being cast about by the winds of change, become the master of your destiny! You are here on this planet at this time because you have unique gifts and talents which you can put to use to serve and enrich the lives of other people! To not use those gifts and talents is not only selfish, but ultimately could be viewed as a waste of your life.
It's (Still) All About SYNERGY
"Ask yourself what you would do even if you were
never paid.
That's a clue to what you should be doing
and of course finding a way to be paid for it.
You can attract more money from love."
— Dr. Joe Vitale: Marketing and Copywriting author
I can't emphasize this enough -- SYNERGY, folks! If you've been on this list for over a year, you may recall an article I wrote last August, dealing with SYNERGY [always available on the Links page],and it's just as (or more) important now as it was then. SYNERGY is about people doing what they LOVE to do, and doing it together. As I'm looking for a person (or persons?) to join me here at Sound Mind & Body, one of the first things I ask in the interview is, "What do you want to do?"
For Employers
As I stated, the times have changed and a new paradigm is in order. The era of "Human Resources" is done, and it's time to restore it to PERSONel. Over the years I've read many mission statements, and such, and they hardly ever mention anything about the PEOPLE at the organization (and if they are mentioned, it's usually near the bottom of the document). Sure we need to serve the customer, make a profit, and so on, but it's also very important (actually CRITICAL right now during these "interesting times") to provide more than the "golden handcuffs" to the people who are making your organization possible. [In fact, please see the Corporate and Groups page.]
Many years ago there was a productivity study where in one area of a company they make the lighting brighter, and in another area they made it dimmer, and in another they made no changes. In both the brighter and dimmer areas they saw productivity increases. This puzzled the analysts, so they asked the employees what the deal was. The answer was that by changing the lighting (it didn't matter whether it was brighter or dimmer), the people working there perceived that the company "cared," and that resulted in higher productivity. [Which is why it's a total WIN-WIN when I bring my Sound Hypnosis to corporations: the employees perceive the company cares about them, and so they get benefit not only from that, but also from the sessions I do there!]
For Employees
For sure, not everyone is going to quit their job and become entrepreneurs. However, there are wonderful people to work for out there. See if you can get some changes made where you're at, which will not only make things better for you, but will also be positive for the organization as well. If the supervisors and managers aren't receptive, please DO quickly run the idea all the way up to the top (because those people have usually gotten to be in that position by knowing a good idea when they see it). If things aren't going to change and you're not happy there, make plans to get out. Do some research and make a list of organizations you'd want to work for, and then market yourself to them.
Do NOT Underestimate the Power of (My) Sound
Just as with the aspect of SYNERGY, I cannot overemphasize what the sound I've produced is able to do for you and your thinking! By putting you in your "right mind," what was previously a problem or impossible may shift into the realm of new thinking and "possible." You don't need someone else's solution for what's going on in your life -- you need YOUR solution. All you have to do is LISTEN, and as our bumper sticker says
"Don't die with your music still inside of you!"
-- Attributed to Dr. Wayne Dyer, but may have been said by others
In harmony,
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