If you’ve been reading my other blog (the more personal one) then you know that somehow I’ve managed to include a lot of fun, travel, and adventure in my life. I’m not independently wealthy. My company doesn’t send me around the world on assignments. In fact, I’m self-employed. I’ve been self-employed my entire life. One of the reasons I get to travel so much is because I envisioned having this life, then I created a plan to make it happen, and I worked on transforming any limiting beliefs that might have held me back.

My business is coaching people to people to create their lives by design. I coach a lot of small business owners to grow their businesses while enjoying fabulous lifestyles, and I coach individuals without businesses in the areas of career, health, relationship, and achieving whatever meaningful goals are important to them.

I recently recorded a free teleclass with my friends Starr and Sara of This Moment Events that was part interview and part workshop where I led everyone through a powerful exercise to help them create a clear and compelling vision for the year. I wanted to share this recording with you.

This call is an interesting and dynamic exploration of what will help you take your life to the next level. We discussed some of the foundational strategies I have used with hundreds of clients over the years to produce truly amazing results.

What you will take away ….

1. You will identify the key strategies to create your vision, as well as the primary obstacles which you will need to overcome.
2. You will be guided to identify any limiting beliefs and you will be led through a powerful process for changing limiting beliefs into empowering ones.
3. You will explore the keys to living your best year, which includes a balanced approach that is both yin and yang, masculine and feminine, attractive and active, generative and aligned with a natural flow.
4. Finally, you will learn a specific strategy to synchronize your daily actions and habits with your bigger vision and goals. You will also learn a simple time-management principle that you can implement right away to begin producing bigger results with less time and effort.

All of this in 53-minutes? Yes, no kidding, all of this in 53-minutes. If you’re committed to making this year one of your best ever, this “mini-workshop” will help you to create the foundation necessary for success.

Get the free teleclass recording here:
Living Your Best Year

Short Inspiring Video

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

- Marianne Williamson

Listen to the recording here.

Download the recording here.

Social media is exploding and it’s one of the most effective places to market your services to new potential clients. However, most people simply don’t know how to use social media effectively. That’s why I brought in Janet Fouts to give my clients some expert guidance.

Janet has been involved in on-line community and social media for 13 years. She is a Senior partner of Tatu Digital Media, an award winning web design and development firm in San Jose specializing in website development and social media marketing strategy. She is a social media coach, working with individuals and companies to help create and implement effective strategies.

Janet is the founder of the Social Media Coaching Center, an online learning center for anything and everything about social media networks, tools and strategies. The coaching center offers a number of ways for students to learn about social media from blog posts and downloadable worksheets and whitepapers to podcasts, teleclasses, video tutorials and product demos from industry experts and coaches. Janet’s book, Social Media Success, is due out in November.

Unfortunately, many people don’t give themselves this gift. They either don’t believe they deserve it deep down, or they are waiting for some future circumstances before they give themselves permission to indulge in bliss.

And for those of you who signed up for my blog for tips on growing your business, before you dismiss this idea as unrelated, think again. This will make you more productive because the more deeply satisfied you are at the basic human, emotional and primal level, the more powerful, creative, and efficient you will be at work.

If you have big goals, a tight schedule and many responsibilities, you might think you just don’t have time for bliss. Well, I say you don’t have time not to enjoy some bliss. don’t let your days pass you by.

If you aren’t taking your daily bliss time, maybe you need to take a lesson from my cat, Maggie. She is an expert on the topic. Take a look at this photo I snapped of her. She likes to lounge on top of the gas fireplace which makes it warm 24 hours a day. If you’ve ever been swimming in a river, and then laid out on a big hot rock, which has been warmed by the sun all day, you will understand why Maggie enjoys the fireplace so much. It’s truly blissful. You can find her lounging there at least once per day.

So if you aren’t giving yourself some daily bliss time, the solution is simple. Make it a priority. No more excuses. No more waiting. the time is now to enjoy your life. Make a quick and simple list of things that you absolutely enjoy - your “bliss list”. Then commit to making time for at least one of them every day.

Personally, I give myself bliss time every morning and evening. In the morning, I do yoga and meditation and listen to music. I don’t do these things because I think they are good for me. These aren’t objectives to accomplish from my to-do-list. I actually really enjoy doing yoga. For me, it’s self-indulgent. I don’t push myself hard to increase my flexibility or strength, instead I do what they call “restorative yoga” and just enjoy coming fully into my body. It’s almost like receiving a massage. I listen to whatever music I’m in the mood for and start the day off right.

In the evenings, I always do something different. It could be enjoying a cup of tea and chatting with a friend. Reading a good book. Watching a DVD with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, or taking a walk along the cliffs down at the ocean. The specific thing that I do isn’t that important. What’s more important is simply that I devote at least a little time each day to the purpose of pleasure. It’s time to indulge my inner child, have some fun, be sensual, be entertained, laugh, relax, and enjoy just being alive, being human, and being in a body.

Sometimes I even take a nap in the middle of the day! In many other countries it is common to take a guilt-free siesta. It’s only in America that naps are considered weak or lazy.

We are all unique and what I find blissful might be downright dreadful to you. So make your own unique “bliss list”. Don’t make this another task. Have fun!

If you have trouble feeling bliss, see my post on the Key to Happiness.

I was recently interviewed by Janet Fouts on The Keys To Success In Any Economy.  I want to share the recording with you because I think you will find it valuable.  One listener had this to say:

“…you made a number of distinctions, each of which could be life changing for me, or most anyone who takes it to heart.” -Greg Vinson

Here is what you will take away:

1. What the most successful small business owners know and do that you don’t already know and do yourself.
2. The key distinctions, strategies, mind-shifts, and time-management approaches of people who reach their full potential versus those that don’t.
3. How can you grow a successful business, especially when the economy is in a slump, and still have a balanced, healthy lifestyle.
4. The support structures you need in order to reach your full potential.
5. A specific strategy to synchronize your daily actions and habits with your bigger vision and goals.
6. A simple time-management principle that you can implement right away to begin producing bigger results with less time and effort.
7. This recording is an interesting and dynamic interactive exploration of what will help you take your business and life to the next level.

Listen or download here:  http://www.ryaneliason.com/keystosuccess.shtml

Gratitude - this is my number one happiness tip. Give thanks. Give thanks for anything and everything you can think of to be thankful for; and do this as often and regularly as you can remember. Do it silently to yourself, but be sure to express it out loud as well.

Stop Seeking and Start Finding - Some people are so identified with being a seeker that they are stuck in that mode of being. It almost becomes their identity - seeking enlightenment, seeking truth, seeking money, seeking the next high, seeking the answers, seeking happiness, seeking whatever. If you are being a seeker in any part of your life, just stop, and become a “finder” instead. Start recognizing and acknowledging all the good stuff you’re finding every day.

Exercise - Our bodies were made for exercise. They evolved that way over millions of years. If you’re not exercising you’re disrespecting the laws of nature and the miracle of your body. On the other hand, exercise is one of the best cures for depression, with all its numerous benefits such as increased circulation, positive hormone generation, stress release, etc. Find some ways to exercise that you enjoy and you’ll get even more happiness out of it.

Laughter - Hang out with funny people. Watch funny movies. Make yourself and others laugh. Need I say more?

It Is What It Is - Most people live their lives in some level of argument with reality. They think things should be different than they are. Favorite things that should be different: others, themselves, circumstances, life itself, our political leaders, the weather, their mood that day, their parents, their children, the way someone is behaving, you name it. This is the cause of suffering. If you want to learn to be at peace with what is, read the book, “Loving What Is” by Byron Katie.

Learn To Recognize Enough - In my newsletter on Financial Mastery, I talked about the lie of scarcity. Scarcity is a perspective that many people have permanently adopted. It’s like they’re wearing scarcity sunglasses and therefore they never see enough, no matter how much there is. Not enough time, not enough love, not enough energy, not enough fun, not enough sex, not enough money, you name it - not enough. Recognizing “enough” is a choice, a skill, a habit, and a new way of seeing things. Start looking for enough and you’ll find it; and man does it feel good!

Revel in Satisfaction - Learn to slow down and savor the moment. I’ve noticed that many people have an unconscious limit to how much pleasure they will allow themselves to experience. They hit their limit and quickly move onto the next experience. If you’re enjoying something, slow down, sink into it, let yourself enjoy it even more. You can keep expanding your capacity to feel happiness, joy, pleasure, love, ecstasy, gratitude, contentment, and peace. Make it your practice.

Learn To Recognize Happiness - Happiness is basically feeling good. There are infinite variations on feeling good. Here are just a few: laughter, gratitude, peace, satisfaction, warmth, love, generosity, passion, purpose, surrender, creativity, release, aliveness, joy, playfulness, contentment, centered, complete, giddy, triumphant. Your body is a finely tuned instrument capable of experiencing the great symphony of life’s subtle emotions.

Happy Moments - Even the happiest people in the world are only happy sometimes. Happiness occurs in happy moments. The trick is to notice when you’re having a happy moment. Noticing it can help you appreciate it more and even expand upon it. Drop the over-ambitious goal of being happy all the time and simply work on having more happy moments. If you’re depressed and you have only one happy moment all day, celebrate it! Then begin creating the next one. Become a happy person, one happy moment at a time.

Here are some questions that I’ve been asking lately:

1. What do the most successful small business owners know and do that my clients don’t already know and do?
2. What are the key distinctions, strategies, mind-shifts, and time-management approaches of people who reach their full potential versus those that don’t?
3. How can you grow a successful business, especially when the economy is in a slump, and still have a balanced, healthy lifestyle?
4. What support structures do you need to reach your full potential?
5. What is the psychology of a successful person? How do they think? How do they respond to challenges, both internal (beliefs & attitudes) and external (slow economy, lack of cash flow, etc.)?
   

I’m going to seek to answer these question via this blog over the coming weeks and months. I’m also being interviewed by Janet Fouts, a social media marketing expert, on Tuesday, September 15, at 4:30-5:30 PST on these questions. We’ll be offering a FREE teleclass where we explore the keys to business and life success, in any economy.

Register here if you’d like to receive the call in details and a free recording of the interview.

What are some of your thoughts on the answers to the above questions? Post a comment to this blog. I’d love to hear from you.

I’ve only read four chapters so far, but I wanted to share a couple of quotes from the book, because I thought they were so “spot-on”. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how most of my clients, and most of the people I know, are on information overload. They have trouble managing all of the information coming at them on a regular basis. Yet, they still seek out more information. While the internet is a modern miracle with tremendous value, it has compounded this problem many times over and most people can barely stay on top of their email, let alone all the other sources of information coming their way.

Lowry reminds us that most small businesses fail and makes a strong argument that small businesses are failing not because of lack of knowledge about what to do, but because of a lack of consistent and effective decision-making and follow-through. On page 41 he summed it up nicely:

“… We are a very immature culture, one that is seemingly losing maturity with each passing decade. One symptom of our immaturity is our need for instant gratification. We’ll change or modify our undesired behaviors so long as it doesn’t require more than a few days of effort and attention. Like children, we need a quick fix. Our unwillingness to devote the required time results in a focus on symptoms rather than causes. If a particular self-help or diet book fails, we continue our search for the one that will eventually solve our problem. We frequently rationalize and blame others or the situation - or both. Once others or the situation change, we will be able to change. Now is almost always a bad time to work on modifying our behavior - later should be an excellent time …”

This addiction to more information, and putting off making the behavioral changes we already know we need to make until a more convenient time, is a major time waster and distraction. It contributes to the feeling of overwhelm that many small business owners experience on a regular basis.

On the next page, Lowry tells us - “…now for the very good news: there are some programs aimed at modifying our behavior that have shown a respectable level of success, and they share a common feature. Alcoholics Anonymous, Weight Watchers, personal exercise trainers, longer-term business coaches, and similar all depend on someone or some group who is supporting us and holding us accountable for however long it takes. And however long it takes is never a few days or weeks. New research concludes we must rewire our brain.”

I agree with Lowry - Programs that include both inspiring information and a long-term accountability structure to support sustained tangible action are what actually work in the real world.

Weekend seminars, books, and short-term classes, can sometimes provide inspiration and useful information, but without follow-through support, these programs rarely produce the intended result.

This is why I offer a year-long life and business coaching program. Many of my clients have worked with me for two years, three years, and longer. They have grown new successful businesses in that time, doubled and tripled profits of already viable businesses, and created powerful changes in their health, relationships, lifestyles and emotional well-being. None of these changes happened overnight. I don’t have a magic formula. I’m not selling “secrets” like so many of the self-help gurus and coaches claim. I’m just providing a practical information and a solid accountability structure which has been proven to work.

Sorry, there is no quick fix.

Here it is. Simply schedule three times per day to ask yourself the following questions. Take 3-5 minutes to reflect honestly on your answers. Put a reminder in your calendar or PDA so you won’t forget. Set an alarm so you won’t forget. Do this for at least 2 weeks. If you’re getting good results, keep doing it. Here are the questions.

1. Am I being productive or am I just being busy?
2. Am I inventing things to do in order to avoid what is truly important?

That’s it - short, sweet, simple, but it could change your life! Trust me - Just do it!

I haven’t always been the happiest guy in the world. In fact, I’ve been depressed several times. Some people are naturally happy, while others, like myself have had to work hard for it. Fortunately, I’m a relatively happy person these days. I’d say that I’m a success story in this regard, and my struggles have led me to being somewhat of an expert on this topic.

I hope that taking a few minutes to read this will lead you to being a happier person for the rest of your life. Don’t miss the 5 minute exercise at the end. It’s the best part of this post.

Most people think happiness comes from certain conditions being met. For example, they think they will be happy when they find their soul mate and have that fairy tale relationship; or they believe happiness will find them when they are wealthy and no longer have to work for a living. Perhaps their standards aren’t so high, and they think all it would take to be happy is a little more money, or a slightly sexier girlfriend/boyfriend, or a little more free time, or a more enjoyable job. Perhaps they will be happy when they finally own their own home, start their own business, or get a new car. Maybe they’re waiting for retirement to be happy. Then there are those people who think happiness will come when they are more spiritually enlightened, or they have healed enough of their childhood emotional wounds. Perhaps they will be happy when their health challenges have been resolved, or they weigh what they used to weigh in high school. Maybe they’ll be happy after they get married, or after they get divorced. Do any of these sound familiar? Think about it. If you’re not happy now, you’ve probably got some ideas in your head about what it would take to be happy. Am I right or am I right?

I want to expose this lie for what it is. HAPPINESS DOESN’T COME FROM THE OUTSIDE!! It doesn’t come from conditions being met. It happens when you stop lying to yourself that anything needs to be any different than it already is. It comes from the inside. It is your natural state and it occurs when you allow it to occur. It is something you generate, recognize, radiate out, express and share, not something you acquire, possess, or receive. This quote says it so exquisitely:

“Happiness can grow in any soil, live in any condition. It defies environment. It comes from within; it’s the revelation of the depths of the inner life as light and heat proclaim the sun from which they radiate. Happiness consists not of having, but of being; not of possessing, but of enjoying. It is the warm glow of a heart at peace with itself. Happiness is the soul’s joy in the possession of the intangible. Happiness is paradoxical because it may coexist with trial, sorrow and poverty. It is the gladness of the heart, rising superior to all conditions” - William George Jordon

Many of us were taught, mostly by example, that being happy for no reason was unproductive. People showed us by example that it’s better to be dissatisfied, disgruntled, and unhappy in order to motivate yourself to work hard on changing your circumstances. The fear is that if you let yourself be happy, you might become lazy and self-indulgent. Baloney! You can be happy and motivated at the same time, even ambitious. Misery might be a powerful motivator, but it’s unsustainable. After being miserable and productive for a while, you’ll start to seek distractions just to get some temporary relief and feel good for a moment, and this can lead to addictions.

Being happy for no reason is not in opposition to having goals, dreams, desires, and ambition. The future that you’re living into heavily influences the quality of your present moment. If the future you’re living into is a future of exciting possibilities, your present moment will be rich with energy, meaning, and purpose. Conversely, if you don’t consciously design the future you’re living into, you’ll probably fill that void with thoughts of your future being another version of your past. That might be acceptable to you, but is it compelling? Does it get you out of bed in the morning and fill your cells with energy for living? So keep your goals and dreams, and keep working for them, but drop any idea that you can’t be happy until you achieve them.

Feeling sad, angry, irritated, bored, scared, and lonely is okay too. Let’s face it - Life is a roller coaster. Learn to enjoy the ride. Don’t make yourself wrong if you’re not happy at any given moment, or day, or stretch of days. You’re human. Accepting yourself and your current state of mind is essential to moving forward to the next experience. What you resist persists. If you numb yourself to the pain, you will become numb to the joy as well. On the other hand, if you allow yourself to feel the painful moments free of resistance, you will move through them quickly, and you will feel the joyful moments in life more fully. Just don’t become a pain junkie, dwelling in your drama, seeking to feel alive through your suffering.

The Happiness Challenge

WARNING - Taking 5 minutes to do this exercise could result in you being happier for the rest of your life.

Step 1 - Make a list of everything you think would make you happy. Be sure to include any big long-term goals. Also, include anything that you would like to get rid of or change in order to be happier.

Step 2 - Now recognize and declare that you don’t need any of those things in order to be happy. In fact, you can be REALLY happy without any of them.

Step 3 - Make a commitment to yourself that you will never allow any of the things on your list to be the reason that you’re not happy.

Step 4 - Stop waiting for anything to be happy. Day to day, moment to moment, recognize that happiness is what you are, and allow it to expand and radiate out from your center.

Be Happy for No Reason!