No one has to tell you that it’s a different world out there. The market is going through drastic changes, and you may think you need a scorecard to keep up.  Just overhearing snippets of conversations from passersby on cell phones or people sitting next to you in a coffee shop can be eye opening. Different people are experiencing different things. Even the super-wealthy are having their problems.  And it seems to be getting worse everyday. The repercussions are, and will remain, immense for an unspecified period of time. It’s akin to throwing a large rock into a pond and watching the rings span out over the surface. Eventually they will all just disappear.  And yet, the overall mood across America isn’t as depressed as you would think.

Yes, there are long-term and far-reaching effects on an international level, but guess what? Right now is the best time you may ever have for amazing opportunity and fulfilling change, not only in your career, but in your personal life as well. Most people seem to be in re-evaluation mode these days.  Just look at the very notable increase in self-help books flooding the stores lately. Suddenly everyone is an expert on how to have a perfect life, particularly during a recession. So much advice, so little time.

Guidance is actually a good thing. It can jumpstart us to enthusiastic action, but in order to create meaningful change we must first of all recognize that change is needed and then change the thought patterns and beliefs that years of conditioning have taught us. Without that, any amount of desire will never make the change stick over the long run.  Most people want to change their lives, but at the same time, they want everything to remain the same. Fear is the great enabler and we often let it control our actions even if the fear is unfounded in the present.

The Buddhist religion dictates that if you want to change the world, you must know yourself completely and separately from who you are in it. Once you know yourself your job is done. Getting to know your authentic self is usually a life-long and oft times difficult road, but everything you do, every action and word spoken, will leave a mark, a hopefully positive influence, even if it’s only one person at a time. A journey of a thousand miles starts with only one step. You have more power than you realize to make a significant difference by just being yourself.

“Recently there has been a lot of research on what creates happiness in people, and people have even come up with a happiness formula… The happy people, when they look at a situation, they see an opportunity. The unhappy people look at the same situation and see a problem. Your conditions of living, which means how much money you make, has very little to do with happiness…The happiest people are those who focus on relationships, and when they focus on relationships they are happy.” ~ Deepak Chopra on CNN’s Larry King, May 2009

Are you incorporating your own core values, integrity, and beliefs into your life and your business model? Do you know what they are? Everyone, if they’re smart, is taking stock and making changes, from the largest corporations on down to the sole prop. Relationships, more important than ever, are the key to survival in today’s business world. What does this mean to you?  Are you doing everything you can to produce results for your clients or is it all about you and how you feel?  What you project, fear, anxiety, frustration, even boredom, will come through loud and clear. If your agenda is on a different timeline or schedule than the people you are doing business with because you have bills to pay there will be friction. Timing is the maker and breaker of success. 

Getting your basics back is simply a matter of being proactive, identifying what you believe in, right now, and acting on it.  Here are a few steps to get you there:

• Take a personal inventory of your accomplishments, what you are currently working on, and what you would like to do. How do you feel about them? Separate your negative and positive reactions. When or where are you at your happiest?

• Have you outgrown your situation? If it’s something that you were once passionate about perhaps all that’s needed is a new perspective, a step back to observe without emotion. Giving up doesn’t have to be an option. Change is always possible if desired.

• Unfulfilled by the same old routines, places, whatever? Knowing when it’s time to let go, albeit painful, is the first step to somewhere else. We tend to hold on to situations and objects long after their due date because we identify ourselves, particularly our self worth with them. Understanding why we hold on to patterns of behavior that produce negative results, such as in personal relationships or careers, is a tremendous step on the road to authenticity. What do you want? What do you have to do to get it?

Getting organized, clearing out the clutter, and stream lining can lend a sense of instant wellbeing and newness to your world. It also helps you to focus, curb needless worry, and conquer your fears. Taking action is empowering! You have more options than you may realize. It’s a matter of re-discovering your wonderful self and taking that first step.

RESOURCES:

www.Robkaye.com                                             The Law of Success by Napolean Hill

www.Smileandmove.com                                 The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

www.Cloutetcetera.com