“Success
is getting what you want;
happiness is wanting what you get.”
Author Unknown
This
quote struck me. As a business and life coach, I work
with people every day who are striving to be - do - or
have something in their lives. Be it a successful
business, a life that is less stressed, or a more
satisfying career, everyone wants the same thing at the
core – to feel successful and to be happy.
It
sounds easy to attain but we all know it’s not. There
are many fine formulas for success and happiness out
there. You’ve probably tried many self-help or
business improvement programs and know they would work
if you consistently practiced and skillfully applied
them.
But in
my experience. it takes something else to truly
experience deep, enduring success and happiness.
It takes simple yet profound attitude shifts.
Attitude shifts, when adopted and practiced, can and
will change the fundamental nature of your being.
I offer
you the following back–to-basics Attitudes Of Success
and Happiness. Consider adopting them and see if you
notice a change in the quality of your life and
business.
The
Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude
is appreciation and thankfulness. Do you remember
the last time you stopped for a moment simply to
acknowledge all the good things in your life? When
you’re focused on the big picture, or caught up in
day-to-day living, it’s hard to remember to take a
step back and count your blessings.
Having
a positive, gratitude attitude is basic for high-quality
mental health and for all-around success. Studies
show that individuals who have positive attitudes and
experience gratitude regularly have a higher rate of
happiness and less stress.
This
simple attitude shift can change your perspective almost
instantaneously. The next time you are
experiencing high stress, stop and take a deep
breath. Make a quick list in your head of five
things you are grateful for. You will feel better.
Learning
to see everything in an appreciative, positive way is
not easy. However, practice makes it easier.
The
Attitude of Possibility
Every
experience and opportunity is a gift. It leads to
possibility. Think back on your past experience,
good and bad – would you agree that even the most
difficult experiences had some sort of silver
lining? Are you somehow better off, or a better
person as a result your experience?
Now,
try this question on for size - can you ever really make
a mistake? If you believe you can, you’ll live your
life out of fear and never take risks. Consider
this - every failure or challenge, or “mistake” is
an opportunity for possibility. What would your
experience be of the events in your life if you were to
embrace possibility as the ultimate outcome of any
situation?
The
Attitude of Possibility is an art form. It takes
practice and trust to stay open to possibility.
When faced with any challenge, ask yourself, “How
might this experience be perfect right now?” And
then ask, “What is possible?”
The
Attitude of Abundance
Believe
it or not, there’s enough love, money and business to
go around. Contrary to popular belief, our world is an
abundant place. Think of how many people are on
the planet with needs and how many businesses start up
to meet those needs each year. Every business is
unique and attracts its perfect customers.
The
attitude here to adopt is - there IS enough. By
simply staying focused on your passion and attracting
your perfect customers, you will begin to experience
abundance in business and life. Choose to thrive
in a growing, abundant world and see what opens up for
you.
The
Attitude of Service
You are
Inspiration! Not only can you be driven by your
inspiration to be a successful person, you can BE
inspiration and have a fabulous life too! Think of
yourself as the beautiful, unique jewel that you are.
The offering you make to the world is founded on the
combination of your vision, your purpose and the gifts
you bring. This is where the attitude of service begins.
After
all, your values and vision spring from your
humanity. Be you. Be inspiration. Be
service. The Attitude of Service is not something
you put on and take off when at work. It is
something you carry with you throughout each day.
Someone who truly has the Attitude of Service will
always embody the Attitude of Service to other people,
no matter what the circumstances.
The
international business networking organization has the
Attitude of Service built into its program.
“Givers Gain” is its motto. The idea behind it
is that if you focus on giving to others, more will come
back to you.
The
Attitude of Accountability
Keeping
on track to fulfill your goals takes intention.
One of the secrets of success is learning to adopt an
Attitude of Accountability. Human nature tends to
follow a path of least resistance.
The
Attitude of Accountability is about keeping your word
–doing what you say you’re going to do.
Keeping your word is a standard or a value that’s
attractive and success-producing.
Accountability
can take many forms. You can request a member of
your support team to hold you accountable; you can hire
a coach or mentor and deepen your work with them.
You can simply write your intentions down, create a
timeline and task list to review on a regular basis.
Whatever you decide is right for you.
I
challenge you to stay accountable. Honor whatever
investment you make of your precious time and
money. Take the time now to put systems into place
that will help you maintain your intentions, goals, and
actions.
It’s
YOUR life. . . imagine the possibilities!
