Connection is vital to a fulfilling and joyful life. We connect with people, spirit, and purpose. When we don’t feel a sense of connection, we feel adrift and without direction. It is so easy to get caught in the trap of trying to please others while neglecting our own sense of self. Re- establishing a sense of connection is not difficult. It may be uncomfortable, or sometimes painful, but not difficult. The two most important factors are to keep things simple and to be honest with yourself. Here are some exercises which can help simplify this process:
- Make a list of your most common activities, such as work, school, hobbies, etc. Next to each of these activities write down why you do them. This is just for you (unless you want to share it), so be honest.
- Make a list of what you would love to do (if there were no limitations)
- Write down the names of the significant relationships in your life and determine if these relationships support your purpose (if not, dig a little deeper to determine if this lack of support is due to your lack of communication)
The idea with these exercises is to provide you with some insight into your definition of happiness. When you have a clearer definition of happiness, it is easier to figure out how to connect with your purpose. It is also easier to connect your purpose with spirit and to connect with people who nurture your purpose.
Everyone is important. Your presence in the world is vital to someone, probably more people than you could possibly be aware. Take the time to let go of any limitations you place on yourself and any walls you put between yourself and others. Take the time to connect.
Photo Credit: alles-schlumpf via Flickr
One of the most difficult things to do is to find peace. It sounds very easy in theory, but we have a ton of distractions. Some of these distractions are positive, like falling in love or an exciting challenge at work, and some are very toxic, like resentment or anger. One of the keys to a fulfilling life is to remove as many toxic distractions as possible in order to focus on relationships and activities that bring us joy. Of course there are situations and actions of other people over which we have no power or control, but we always have control over our responses.
This is a continuation of the series I have been writing on managing a successful business. Much of what I focus on is service. Providing good service is the number one key to success. By providing quality service, you are able to build trust. With this trust you form a strong relationship with your client/customer. The relationship establishes loyalty and generates strong word of mouth referral. No matter how adept an organization is with advertising and PR, without trust, relationships, loyalty, and strong word of mouth referrals, a business will struggle to find long term success.
Regardless of the business you are in, success is predicated on the service you are able to provide. In most businesses there are so many options available to potential clients or customers, it can be difficult to determine what will make your business stand apart. Often, businesses will succumb to the newest fads and revert to reactionary change without thinking about the most critical ingredient in a company’s success, its ability to provide valuable service.
I didn’t start my company because of an insatiable appetite for deal making and business prowess. I didn’t possess a lot of know how and I certainly had no business experience. I started it because I was willing to take responsibility for a drug and alcohol abuse treatment program on its last financial leg. I have acquired a great deal of experience along the way and I have learned a lot from many sources.
I started my company, Stonebraker’s Inc., in 1993. At the time, I had no idea how to run a business, much less sustain it for this long. Today I am able to recognize some of the steps I have taken and communicate them in a useful way. It is imperative to share any insights, ideas, and wisdom that may be beneficial to people if we hope to build a strong and supportive community. Over the next several weeks I will dedicate a post per week to share some of what I have learned, along with some of the mistakes I have made. I will continue to write on other topics but I feel it is important to focus some attention on this particular area.
