JATAJ, the Center for Fulfillment and Prosperity

From the beginning of time, people have loved stories.  Whether they were told around the campfire to pass on wisdom from the elders, or spent with our children telling them their favorite bed time stories, stories have been an integral part of our lives.

But what about the stories we tell ourselves?  Let me give you an example.  I spent 10 years working in two different CPA firms.  In both firms, when tax season rolled around, all I heard out of our accountants was how busy they were.  They even called it “busy season.”  So, what was the rest of the year?  Not-busy season? As an observer, it seemed to me that this story they were telling themselves, and others, created a lot of stress for everyone.

According to Norman Fischer, “Busy-ness is a state of mind, not a fact. No matter how much or how little we’re doing, we’re always just doing what we’re doing, simply living this one moment of our lives.”

What would our life look like if, during a time of extra work, we simply told ourselves, “I’m going to focus on completing one thing at a time, not making this out to be more than it is, and intending to complete everything with ease and grace.”

I knew which people in the accounting firm worked with “I’m so busy” running through their heads, or “One thing at a time” running through their heads. You could tell by their demeanor, the way they treated other people, even the way they walked.

Our ego thrives on chaos and stress, but our soul yearns for peace and calmness.  AND, you can control which world you’d like to be part of — the world of chaos or calm.

It may take a little practice, but NOTICE what you are thinking and if those thoughts are not keeping you in a place of calm, change them. You have the power inside you to DECIDE what you want to think.

Break those old, stressful habits, and think new thoughts.  After all, when you change your thoughts, you change your life!

Is it true — All You Need Is Love?

With the passing of Steve Jobs, much has been written about his life and his success. I recently stumbled across this excerpt from an LA Times article that paints a somewhat unique picture that may apply to all of us:

Those who knew Jobs often spoke of his passion for his creations.

“It sounds ridiculous to talk about love when you are making a gadget,” said Larry Brilliant, the former director of Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, and a longtime friend of Jobs.

“But Steve loved his work, he loved the products he produced, and it was palpable,” Brilliant said. “He communicated that love through bits of steel and plastic.”

So let me ask you — is LOVE an ingredient you add to all you create?

If you own or work in a business, imagine with me for a moment that you have an absolutely gorgeous office, with all the latest, greatest technology, that you have employees that are a joy to spend time with, that your clients are the best people in the world who appreciate everything you do for them, that you find yourself feeling it is a privilege to be in an industry where you can really make a difference in people’s lives. How would that feel? Would it feel like “love” to you?

When your home is filled with things you love, doesn’t it make a difference? And I don’t mean just stuff here, but with your favorite pictures of your family, colors you love, furniture that makes you feel good, even meals prepared with love taste better. I have proof of the meal thing because my step-children just love my cooking, and every time they say that I tell them it was because the meal was prepared with love, and it was!

In any work you do, or thing you create, do you put any love into your efforts? And if not, why not? Even if you hate your job, you can love a task you are performing. Find something to love about it and things will go better for you. In your work, if you don’t find joy in the people who work with you, take a second look and find something to appreciate about someone (and tell them what you appreciate when the opportunity presents itself.) If you don’t like your work environment, do you best to make changes so you will love it, and think about how your work impacts others and what a difference you are making in people’s lives. No matter how insignificant a thing you are doing seems to you, doing it with love can immensely improve the lives of others.

I can attest that when you come from a place of love, everyday, in everything you do, it does make a difference. I love the fact that you are reading this because you, too, could feel this way, if you don’t already. And if you already do, you know what I’m talking about.

If not, it’s not too late to make some changes. You can control your destiny by making the decision that if you don’t love your work, then you need to stop doing the things that you don’t enjoy, add a little love to your surroundings, and make the intention to put a little love into everything you do.

If you don’t love your home, then spend some time thinking of how you could make it more loveable. It doesn’t have to cost much — sometimes just rearranging the furniture allows you to love a room that you previously didn’t care much for.

I do believe that Steve Jobs put his HEART and soul into his company and his products. How do I know this? Because there isn’t one Apple product that I have (and I have most of them) that I do not LOVE!

So, spread the love — it may be the best advice you’ll ever get!