On January of 2013, I started a blog series called Soul Feed to look back on my personal transformations through my own life transitions while reading the book by Gabrielle Bernstein called "May Cause Miracles". Now two years later, January of 2015 to be exact, I received a new book from my sister for my birthday called "Thrive" written by Arianna Huffington.
Part of the book's message resonated with me so much that I started to immediately practice one of life's performance enhancers and for the last seven months have been practicing meditation. Pictured below is my meditation corner that I simply created in my master bedroom. For ideas on how to start your own meditation space, you can find a few on my zen-filled lifestyle board on Pinterest.
This new life transformation then lead me to want to list the other key points of the book that not only will continue to enhance my inner self during my lifetime but it iterates the four pillars of the third metric of success: well-being, wisdom, wonder and giving according to Arianna.
So how do you currently define or measure success? The traditional metrics of success are money and power. On the other hand, I can personally relate with this definition or quotation of success from Paul Coelho below which can be found on page 190 of the book.
Below are some key points from each pillar of the third metric of success that I would like to stick in my mind and look back on in case I ever veer off track in this race of life.
Well-Being
~ On page 30, the need to redefine success is a global need as burnout, stress and depression have become a worldwide epidemic.
~A quote from Williams James: "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."
~ A quote from Francis De Sales: "Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage by considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them; every day begin the task anew."
~ Google offers their employees a popular class called "Search Inside Yourself", started by Chade-Meng Tan, an engineer and employee number 107 at Google. The three parts of the class are attention, training, self-knowledge, and building useful mental habits. {page 36}
~ Harvard Business School professor, Leslie Perlow, introduced PTO, predictable time off, where you take a planned night off from email, work and your smartphone. A sort of "digital detox".
~ Very important and useful tips for a good night sleep. {see page 86}
~ Unplugging challenge, for your health, your relationships, for your well-being.
~ Introduce stress reduction tools into your life with these performance enhancers: mindfulness, yoga, prayer, meditation, and contemplation.
~ Pets are a great source for healing.
~ "See the spectacle of the ordinary."
Wisdom
~ Feeding and nurturing our intuition and living a life in which we can use of its wisdom, is one key way to thrive at work and in life.
~ According to Steve Jobs, intuition is more powerful than intellect.
~ Heal your "hurry sickness" and learn to slow down.
~ Note to self: Every year on your birthday, do a "life audit". Eliminate the unnecessary.
~ Know who you want to be. Once you know, feed it.
~ To thrive, replace old habits with good ones.
~ Recite the serenity prayer: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Wonder
~ Wonder is not just the product of what we see, it is just as much as a product of our state of mind, our being, the perspective from which we are looking at the world.
~ Nature and art are two of the most fertile grounds for experiencing wonder. Go to a museum, perfect your photography skills, appreciate music or a sculpture, watch a documentary, admire architecture, literature, drama, poetry or just dance.
~ Practice storytelling. Mindfulness helps us become aware of our own story.
~ To regain the sense of wonder, disconnect from the outside world even for a short time and go through an inner journey. Go for long walks, hikes, yoga classes, unhurried meditations, sleep in and read actual books.
~ We need to take time to wonder at the world around us, feel gratitude for the good in our lives, and overcome our natural bias toward focusing on the negative. Slow down and let wonder do its job at its own pace.
Giving
~ Volunteer. Studies have shown that it puts you in a better mood, makes you feel healthier, experience less stress, enrich your sense of purpose in life, and connect with peers.
~ Transition from a go-getter to a go-giver. This makes you appreciate the natural abundance in your own life.
~ Don't expect anything in return. As Arianna's mother puts it "It's not a trade, darling, it's an offering."
It took me seven months to finish reading this book. My true entry point towards the subject of the book became more intense when I experienced a health issue. I'm such a calm person that when I experience stress, I internalize it rather than verbally expressing myself, which in turn my body reacts in different ways, good and bad. Along the way, not only has this book enriched my perception of the true meaning of success, it has transformed my life this past year. I highly recommend this book for others and if you know anyone else who may also benefit, please do pass it on.
Thank you so much for reading.
~ marissa