The Soul of Success Vol. 7 • November 30, 2005

Welcome to The Soul of Success On-Line Community for Women!

This community is about finding balance in life by looking for ways to balance the inner and outer aspects of life. I’m delighted you’ve joined us for this issue of The Soul of Success e-newsletter on The Power of Self-Expression.

Do you jump out of bed in the morning hardly able to wait to start your day? Do you feel excited, inspired about what your day looks like and what might unfold? Or are you one of the 80% of Americans who don’t like their jobs?

If we spend a third or more of our lives working at jobs that don’t fulfill us or use the ways we naturally express ourselves, we rob ourselves of joy and good health. Do you recognize your natural gifts and, more important, do you pursue them?

I hope you enjoy the Feature Article on Self-Expression, and that you’ll share your own experiences about doing what you love with us (e-mail to stories@jenniferhawthorne.com).

Please share this newsletter with a friend—that’s how we’ll grow our on-line community and help each other live in balance!

In this Newsletter:

• Ask Jennifer: What Can We Do to Put Back the ‘Holy’ in the                Holidays?
• Feature Article: “The Power of Self-Expression”
• Today’s Tip
• Readers Speak
• Next Issue: “The Power of Integrity”
• Contact Us

Ask Jennifer: What can we do to put back the “holy” in the “holi-days”?

“Holy” means sacred, or meaningful, or whole. Wholeness means a satisfied mind/body/spirit, and here are four suggestions I think are great for feeling more whole during the holidays. The first is “body,” numbers 2 and 3 are “mind,” and #4 is “heart” or “spirit.”

(1) Stay rested. Remember that sleep before midnight is better than after midnight, and every minute of sleep before 10:00 p.m. is like gold. You can handle everything life throws at you better when you’re rested.

(2) Avoid unrealistic expectations. You’ve heard that definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results? I love my family, but at large family gatherings, the dysfunction and chaos can be intense. I prefer to see family members one-on-one at other times of the year, rather than put myself in an uncomfortable situation just because it’s expected.

(3) Let go of perfectionism. My best friend helped me decorate my  Christmas tree and wrap packages over the weekend. I noticed that she did things really differently from me—especially the wrapping, which was almost childlike. I would have spent a lot of time making sure corners were tucked in perfectly, and colored balls hung on the tree in perfect symmetry, and I watched in awe at the joy she expressed…and what I learned from that. The tree—and the packages under it—look charming and beautiful, by the way.

(4) Give gratitude. What we focus on grows stronger in our lives. At the end of the day, see if you can come up with at least five things that happened during the day that you feel grateful for. Like attracts like, and the more you give thanks, the more you’ll have to be grateful for.

Do you have a question for Jennifer? Send an e-mail to: jennifer@jenniferhawthorne.com with “Question for Jennifer” in the subject line.

Feature Article: The Power of Self-Expression
by Jennifer Read Hawthorne

If you want to know whether the principle of Self-Expression is alive and operating in your life, ask yourself this question: Do you LOVE what you do? Are you a person who bounds out of bed in the morning hardly able to wait to get to work—or are you one of the 80% of Americans who don’t like their jobs?

If you answered yes to loving what you do, then Self-Expression is alive and well in your life. You have found your voice by expressing yourself through your natural gifts. And when we do things naturally, they are always easier and more enjoyable.

But if you find yourself in the 80% category—in other words, you don’t like your job—then you can change it. You might not WANT to change it, if it brings you the kind of pay you want or the security you need, but if you DO want to change it, here’s how:

First, ask yourself what it is that you really love doing. And if that question is hard to answer, try this:  Looking back at your childhood, what were you drawn to? What kinds of games did you like to play?

It was this exercise that brought me back to my own self-expression, after getting off track for many years in the field of accounting. Yes, you heard me. After majoring in Journalism at college, with a minor in Speech and Broadcasting, I somehow got seduced by the world of orderliness and balance that the field of accounting offers.

But after ten years, I woke up one morning and had to admit that I was not having fun. I started reflecting on the things that had brought me the greatest joy and fulfillment in life. And I went all the way back to my childhood.

My father used to tell me that from the age of about seven, I would gather up all the children in my neighborhood and have them sit in rows on my driveway so I could “talk” to them! Now, I don’t remember what I talked to them about, but according to my dad, I ALWAYS had something to say. In other words—it came naturally!

When I think about my own speaking career today, I have to admit that when I am in front of a group of people giving an inspirational keynote address, whether there are 50 people or 2000 people present, I feel my most natural. Now this is unusual, I know. when you stop to think that public speaking is #1 on the list of fears in this country. You know what #3 is? It’s death! In other words, people are more afraid of speaking in public than they are of dying!

And yet, speaking in public comes as naturally to me as breathing. It’s my gift, and when I use this natural expression of myself, I’m fulfilled—and compensated as well.

Not using our natural gifts often leads to straining. And if we spend long hours at work we don’t love, we can suffer health problems as well. The important thing to remember in your search for what you love to do, is not to discount it just because it comes easily. The “no pain, no gain” attitude doesn’t apply here!

I interviewed a well-known musician by the name of Deva Premal for my book The Soul of Success. Deva grew up in Germany in a very musical family, but as she grew older, discounted her musical understanding and talents because they came so naturally to her, so easily. Fortunately for the world, she rediscovered them as an adult, and today her CDs top the New Age music charts.

So if you’re searching for your passion, trying to find your voice, don’t overlook the things you do naturally. Ask yourself what you were drawn to as a child. And remember, as Deva said to me: “I’ve never seen a bird striving to be more beautiful, or trying to sing a song more challenging than the one it’s been blessed with.”

Adapted from The Soul of Success: A Woman’s Guide to Authentic Power, Health Communications, Inc., copyright 2005 Jennifer Read Hawthorne.

This article is also available in the two-volume CD set: 21 Keys to the Soul of Success. For more information, click here.

Today’s Tip

One of the best ways to be healthy and radiant is to do what you love doing. It’s probably something that comes naturally to you. If you’re not sure what your passion is, think back to your childhood and ask yourself what you were naturally drawn to. This could be a fantastic clue to an interest, a gift you don’t even realize you have—because it comes naturally!

Readers Speak

This Issue’s Question for Readers: What are some great gift ideas that can help put more meaning into the holidays?

Send your answer to: jennifer@jenniferhawthorne.com with “Question for Jennifer” in the subject line. I’ll share and discuss your answers in the next e-newsletter.

Next Issue: The Power of Integrity

One way to stay “whole” is to make sure that you “walk your talk.” When you do this, what you do on the outside lines up with who you are on the inside. Join me as I share the story of Linda Chae, creator of 100% toxic-free skincare products for women—and the moment of truth she faced that has defined her life ever since.

Contact Us

Your feedback is always greatly appreciated. Please e-mail us at info@jenniferhawthorne.com

The Soul of Success is a free e-newsletter published twice a month by Jennifer Read Hawthorne, copyright 2005.

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