My past mentality was that work had to be hard in order for me to get
ahead. I admit, I don’t like hard work. In college I had visions of myself
working 12 hour behind a desk, and living with high levels of stress. That’s
why I didn’t want to graduate. Whenever I played “I Love College” by Asher Roth
on my iPod I would switch songs towards the end so I wouldn’t have to hear the
last line: “Do I really have to graduate? Or can I just stay here for the rest
of my life?” The good news is: I was wrong. Work doesn’t have to be hard. Work can be fun.
The first step in making work “fun”
is to start with something you believe you can achieve. My fastest time for the
mile is 8 minutes. If my goal was to beat Usain Bolt in a race, then I wouldn’t
have fun trying to reach my goal. Which is why I wouldn’t set that goal in the
first place.
They say the hardest part is getting
started. Before I start working, I get my mind into a Positive State so it won’t
be difficult getting started. I’ll go on Youtube and watch Selena Gomez’s
“Naturally” or an Abraham Hicks video to help me get in a Positive State.
I watch Abraham Hicks videos on
Youtube every day. Esther Hicks is the amazing woman behind Abraham. She says
people feel anxious because we’re looking for results, for evidence that we’re
on the right path. We complete the action, whether it’s looking for new clients,
laying the foundation for a construction project, going to the gym, or joining
Meetup.com, so that we can achieve results, whether it’s financial gains, a
healthier body, or building relationships. Abraham Hicks advises us to trust the process.
If looking for evidence causes us
anxiety, then it’s better not to think about it. Abraham Hicks says that action
is recommended. Let’s say our goal was to remodel the basement. And all of a
sudden, the project gets completed (with no action). We most likely wouldn’t be
as satisfied. It would have been too easy. The finished basement wouldn’t be as
pleasing to us because we didn’t work on it. Imagine how Leonardo Da Vinci
would feel if the “Mona Lisa” was completed in one second? I’m not sure if he
would appreciate it as much.
I’ve learned, from listening to
Abraham Hicks, that work can be fun once we’re in the right mindset. When we’re
absolutely sure about something, then we won’t worry about it. In the past I’ve
worried about a lot of things. But I never worried that my name wasn’t Yanna.
This principle can be applied to anything. The important piece is to get to the
point of knowing with absolute certainty. It took a while for me to understand
this, and to apply it in my life. For most of my life I did the opposite of
what Abraham Hicks was telling me. I worked, hoping for results, and felt
discouraged when nothing changed. In my last post I wrote: be happy first, then
everything you want will come to you.
But what if things don’t go our way?
In college I worked in retail. We had to fold the clothes a certain way, and we
had to make sure the hangers were facing the “right” direction. We had a set
amount of time to complete our tasks. The work environment was fun, but it took
longer than average for me to fold clothes. As a result my shifts were reduced;
they’d have me work one day a week. So I actually went home and practiced
folding with a piece of cardboard. My manger complimented me on my improvement…
but I wasn’t asked back to work during winter break. I was crushed.
If this happened recently, I would
feel differently. After I found out I wasn’t getting rehired, I wouldn’t think
about my job. I know that thinking about my job would make me upset. I also
wouldn’t go the opposite direction and think “I’ll get re-hired next summer
with a pay raise!” I would feel inner resistance with that thought.
Instead I would picture myself
standing on a beach watching ocean waves fall and rise. It would be an easier
thought to think than “I’ll get re-hired next summer with a pay raise!” Oceans
are abundant and calm. That would be the vibration I want with getting a job.
It’s about feeling good, feeling worthy, relaxing, and trusting the process.
It took me years to understand this.
For much of my life I had been either living in darkness, or light fog. Now I
appreciate sunsets and the feeling of being alive. I’m thankful for what I have.
I went to a super fun gathering recently, where I caught up with my friend, ate
cupcakes, and met new people. We were in a park at sunset; the changing colors
met the trees at a gorgeous angle. That was what I wanted in high school: friendships,
fun conversations, and a sense of belonging. I’m happy most people didn’t go
through what I experienced in school, and I’m grateful for every conversation I
have. That overbearing feeling of anxiety is no longer present.
When we look for results it can
cause anxiety. In college my anxiety was less noxious, but I still experienced
it, especially during finals week! I’d rather work calmly than in a state of
anxiety. To make work fun, trust the process. Know what you want is coming to
you. Find thoughts to fit the vibration of fun and ease, whatever it may be.
Flow is the optimal state for work, where work doesn’t seem like work. There’s a
book titled “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi that demonstrates “the ways this positive state can be
controlled, not just left to chance.”
I’m grateful for everything in my
life. I wouldn’t take any of the trauma I experienced back, nor would I relive
it. Everything happened to me for a reasons. My book (links below) details my
journey from severely depressed to consistently happy.
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