Life encompasses an array of emotions. We experience joy, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, love, and many nuanced emotions. We can change our state of being by altering our actions, breath, or thoughts. Switching gears amid powerful emotions can be challenging. However, it’s possible. Bringing mindful awareness to what you’re feeling and doing is one path to get there. With that awareness, opportunities to experience more happiness will increase.

When you live in the land of ‘wishing,’ you’re focused on someday. While it’s essential to dream and future-think, this can detract from current experiences. You can miss opportunities for happiness and mindful moments if you’re too intent on what will be versus what is going on now.

I’m a quote collector. I have several favorites on my desk, including one from Walt Whitman. His thoughts beautifully weave a connection between happiness and mindfulness. He said, “Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.”

What does Whitman’s message encourage? It reminds me that happiness is always available to us. You don’t need to postpone joy for some future time when your project is complete, or goals are reached. It’s possible to experience happiness as part of your daily journey. Develop a mindful awareness of what is happening now and what senses you are noticing.

“Happiness, not in another place but this place...not for another hour, but this hour.”

— Walt Whitman

Which recent experiences made you happy? Here are a few of mine:

• Seeing the bouquet of yellow-orange flowers in the purple vase

• Feeling the cooler fall air on my skin

• Smelling the pine-scented sachet in my dresser drawer

• Eating a delicious frozen dark chocolate dipped banana pop

• Hearing the sound of my husband’s voice on the other end of the phone

• Picking fresh basil from my mini-garden for my salad

• Walking along the Hudson River

• Folding the clean laundry

• Taking a yoga class

• Sweeping the front path

• Learning from Nest Advisor colleagues

• Watching the birds enjoy the birdbath in our backyard

• Engaging in deep conversations with my friends, family, clients, and colleagues

• Creating images and a promo video for my upcoming clutter workshop

Tiny happiness moments are accessible and can be enhanced when you pause to savor them. What are you noticing? How do mindfulness and happiness show up in your life? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

It is our dream of what is possible that gives us hope.

When we envision positive outcomes, relationships and lives, we are using possibility thinking. When we let ourselves imagine what is possible, even if we’ve had a history of disappointments, we allow positive energy to enter our thoughts and actions. Dreaming is just as essential as taking action.

Dispense with limiting beliefs and negative self-talk. Instead let positive thoughts infuse your being. Instead of dwelling in what we didn’t do, focus on what we can do. Focus on what is possible. Focus on being creative, flexible, and open to other options. It’s freeing.

What’s possible?

The “Ask the Expert” interview series connects you with dynamic thought leaders. This year we’ve spoken with Cameron Gott about enlisting help, Dr. Thomas Armstrong about motivation, Harold Taylor about time management, Erin Rooney Doland about clutter, Francine Jay about letting go, Todd Henry about next steps, Dr. Debbie Grove about change, and Joshua Becker about fresh starts. For September, I’m thrilled to have with us innovation expert, Whitney Johnson to share her insights about success.

One of the perks of being active on social media is there’s the opportunity to meet interesting people that you might not have met otherwise. One of my Twitter buddies introduced me to Whitney through her book, Dare, Dream, Do. I read it, loved it, and couldn’t wait to interview her for this series. Before we begin the interview, here is more about her.

Whitney Johnson is a leading thinker on driving innovation via personal disruption, co-founder of Clay Christensen’s investment firm, and was an award winning Wall Street equity analyst and stock picker. She is a regular contributor for Harvard Business Review and the author of Dare, Dream, Do: Remarkable Things Happen When you Dare to Dream. You can connect with Whitney on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, blog or website. 

Linda Samuels:  On your website you wrote, “I see the world as a series of opportunities to invest– in stocks, in ideas, and in people. I believe my true mission is to help people ‘disrupt themselves’ and build a remarkable and surprising future.” What are some essential success ingredients?

Whitney Johnson:  Ah, success.  My definition of success has changed over the years.  When I was younger, it was all about the outcomes.  Would I make the tennis team?  Get into the right college?  Get a prestigious job?  Which I think is normal.  From a developmental perspective, we need concrete goals.  But, I’m discovering that a lifetime of success involves showing up.   Not in a “here I am, therefore I deserve” kind of way.  But in deciding that I want or care about something enough to do the work.   And to then NOT sabotage myself.  So that if it doesn’t happen, I have no excuses. Whether it’s the dream of giving a great speech, launching a successful investment fund, or being a good parent.  The surprising truth here is that even when I fail, there is a thrill and deep satisfaction in knowing I have given it my all.

Linda:  What are some obstacles we might experience when pursuing success? 

Whitney:  Entitlement -- The opposite of showing up.  The thing about entitlement is it comes in lots of clever guises.  Many of us reflexively think “Kids. Now they are entitled.”  But all of us struggle with entitlement.  Think about when a colleague gets a well-deserved opportunity. You are genuinely happy for them.  But there is a piece of you that snivels, “Why didn’t I get that opportunity?  Why do I even bother trying?”  I know I’ve felt this way – just last week, if you’re wondering.  Failure to acknowledge and see abundance in another person’s success is a form of entitlement.

Linda:  In your book, Dare, Dream, Do, you emphasize the importance of dreaming. What is the connection between dreaming and success?  

Whitney:  When we dream, we are hungering for a better life.  And when we dream, we become problem solvers, letting nothing stand in our way.  Dreaming is at the heart of disruption.

Linda:  What are traits successful people have in common?

Whitney:  There are (3) traits I think are especially important.  Showing up, as I’ve mentioned.  Also, the ability to persuade, meaning you can help people see your vision for a remarkable future.  And a growth mindset, the belief that our abilities are not innate and fixed, but that with practice and perseverance we can improve.

Linda:  What has been your biggest personal success challenge? 

Whitney:  Being a mother.  Our children are 18 and 14 respectively.  Being a mother requires me to ‘show up’ – no performance or posturing.  It is messy, and scary, and I frequently feel downright inept.  But with each passing year, I am ‘showing up’ more, and my relationship with my children and husband improves – so according to my metrics, I would say I am successful.

Linda:  What is your most surprising discovery about success?

Whitney:  It is elusive (the brass ring doesn’t really exist) and potentially ever present; every day I get to decide if I will be fully in my life, to show up. 

Thank you, Whitney for being here with us. I love the way you talk about success with such clarity and humanity. Your idea of “showing up” resonated with me, especially in the context of when I was preparing a few weeks ago to attend my first conference as ICD President. I realized that while I could stress and prepare about getting everything “right,” what was most important was that I “show up,” be present, and give my full attention to people individually and as a group.

Join Whitney and me as we continue the conversation. What are your success discoveries? What resonates with you?

As organizers and coaches, the work we do with our clients is change-focused. We’re present as our clients experience the joys and challenges of pursuing their goals and dreams. I was curious about the residual effect facilitating change for others had on us.  To learn more, I reached out to a wonderful group of organizing and coaching colleagues (Seana Turner, Sue West, Andrea Sharb, Sheila Delson, Ellen Delap, Denise Lee, Yota Schneider, Cameron Gott, and Leslie Josel.)

I asked them, “How has one of the changes your client made personally influenced or inspired you to make a change?”

Their responses are thoughtful and motivating. My deepest gratitude goes to each of them for sharing their stories of inspiration and change. Keep reading to discover how change influences more change.

How has one of the changes your client made personally influenced or inspired you to make a change?

Change Inspires Courage

“To me, change is all about courage. I once worked with a client who was having a difficult time letting go of some belongings she had carried throughout her life. The intensity of her internal conflict was palpable, and she literally took a deep breath to summon the nerve to give a few pieces away. Her courage inspired me to make a financial change in my own life that I had been avoiding – one that was uncomfortable and required resolve. The first step was the hardest, but recalling this client’s ‘deep breath’ kept me moving forward.”

Seana Turner – Professional Organizer, Blogger, Speaker & Life Coach

Change Inspires Self-Advocacy

“When my clients first come to me, whether for coaching, organizing, or my hybrid approach, many wrestle with low self-compassion and self-esteem. One consequence is they don’t know how to stand up for what they need or want in some aspects of life. I found that I’d ask myself: Am I standing up for myself? Am I asking for what I need or want? Am I being clear and specific with myself? Where’s my line? As a friend, partner or family member and a coach, it’s imperative I ask these questions often to get clear on where I land.”

Sue West, COC®, CPO-CD®– ADHD & Life Management Coach, Organizer, Author, & Educator

Change Inspires Improved System

“My clients influence me personally every day and I am continually inspired by the changes they make and what they accomplish.  Currently I am especially inspired by the changes one client is making with respect to management of tasks. It's been awesome supporting him in creating change over the past year and I found his change so inspiring that I found myself examining and upgrading my own task management system along the way. Our systems look nothing alike, but they are built upon the same foundation of curiosity and a desire to create a system tailored to an individual style.”

Andrea Sharb– Certified Professional Organizer & Productivity ADHD Coach

Change Inspires New Perspective

“The change that happened for me was monumental and it has affected my life personally and professionally with regard to tolerance and patience. It occurred early in my career while working with several challenging clients who often seemed resistive when progress was slow. I learned that change is something that occurs at different levels, over different amounts of time, depending on each individual and circumstance. I’ve since substituted the word change to ‘transition,’ which creates an image more easily embraced because it doesn’t imply a scary immediate expectancy, but rather something that can occur gently and at a pace that can be controlled depending on the situation and the people involved.”

Sheila Delson, CPO-CD® – Professional Organizer, Author, & ICD Program Mentor

Change Inspires Better Lists

“I’ve always been a big list maker. It comes as a natural tendency to me. Recently when working with a diligent long term client who has struggled with making lists, I realized I could make better use of my natural tendency by making a thorough list each night for the next day, going beyond the basics. Seeing his relief as he made the list helped me realize I still had thoughts, tasks and more in my head that I could record. Such a simple next step, but what a big change this is for less stress and more productivity.”

Ellen Delap, CPO®– Certified Professional Organizer, Certified Family Manager, Productivity Consultant & Blogger

Change Inspires More Balance

“A couple years ago, a client spoke of crafting the way a starving man speaks of a good meal. We charted out a strategy for her to craft and declutter. At subsequent appointments she delighted in showing me the progress of her decluttering and her crafts. During our discussion on how well this strategy was working, she realized that she had erroneously assumed that decluttering was too consuming to accommodate joyful activities. This hit me: what things had I pushed aside? I began to seek out time to play music every week and as a result I feel more balanced.”

Denise Lee, CPO®– Professional Organizer & Coach

Change Inspires New Space

“More than a year ago, a client was at a turning point with his chiropractic practice. His office lease was expiring and he needed to make a decision. While reviewing his current state of affairs and his vision for the future, it became apparent that letting go of the space would allow him to reduce his overhead and free his creative thinking and ability to take risks. Soon after our meeting, he found an ideal space and moved. Within a few months he knew he had made the right decision. Working with him inspired me to reconsider ‘my space.’ The time was right for me to hang a permanent shingle instead of depending on the phone and various locations to work with clients. One thing led to another and I now have a brand new space that I love and inspires me to think much bigger than ever.”

Yota Schneider– Seasons of Change Certified Master Coach, Workshop Facilitator, Blogger, & Mindfulness Mediation Practitioner

Change Inspires Bigger Thinking

“I find inspiration from all of my clients and the changes they commit to. When I think of one example that has inspired me to make a change I think about one of my clients and his unwavering vision to better the lives of underserved youth. He has recently fulfilled his dream of starting his own company that will revolutionize the field of social impact. He has overcome obstacles and built a top-notch team by staying true to his vision. He has inspired me to think bigger and think bolder. It's a good change.”

Cameron Gott, PCC, BCC– ADHD Coach for Entrepreneurs and Professionals

Change Inspires Less Guilt

“I work with many clients that are overcome with guilt. They are not organized enough, or have too much stuff, or don’t study enough or even parent enough. So watching some of my clients throw away the guilt has been a huge lesson for me. I’m practicing what I am preaching! Watching my clients embrace “enough” – good enough, organized enough, etc., has lead me to as well! It’s a slow process, as we all well know, but one that I am consciously working on every day. It’s quite freeing to give up the guilt!”

Leslie Josel– ADHD Coach, Author, & Speaker

In reading these stories, it occurred to me how powerful change is, not just for the change seekers, but also for change observers and facilitators. Psychologist Daniel Goleman said, “Emotions are contagious.” Perhaps watching others change is “contagious” too. It certainly is inspiring. We think, “If she can do it, so can I!”  What or who has inspired change for you? I invite you to share your thoughts and stories. Come join the conversation!