Defining Success

Today marks completion of the real estate pre-licensing class for my latest group of students. With the presentation of their certificates comes my wish for them. A wish for success in their real estate careers as well as in all their future endeavors. Most importantly, I hope if they haven't already, they will define success for themselves. After all, it isn't a one-size-fits-all outcome.
Webster's definition of success is: The achievement of something intended or desired, attaining wealth, fame or prosperity. The meaning itself is broad, but taking it in the most literal sense it will come up short for many of us. Just ask yourself, how often you've pursued a goal only to find out it didn't bring you the result you hoped for. I confess, I've been there- and it didn't feel like success. What I found out at the end of those paths was that the target I had aimed for was not really my own and the price I paid wasn't worth the prize.
I've come to know that for myself -the "something intended or desired" must be honorable, wealth and prosperity can't be measured in dollars and cents nor fame in sheer numbers.
If we are true to ourselves in defining our goals, success will be authentic when we achieve them.
Take time at the start of each day to set a personal intention, and may you go to bed at night, in the glow of success!

Bliss

Mythologist/Author Joseph Camblell’s urging to “Follow your bliss” becomes complicated as you discover there is more than one thing that brings you bliss. You see, unlike Jack Palance’s character, Curly Washburn, in the movie City Slickers, I believe there is more than “the one thing”. Personally, I have several and I hope you do too.
The trick to keeping the bliss in the things that matter to you is achieving balance. If you’re among the fortunate few to have found bliss in your work I guarantee the bliss will fade if you don’t discover and then devote time for other paths to bliss.
My grandmother - lecturing on the ills of alcohol - used to say, “You can’t find happiness in the bottom of a bottle.” She was right and yet on many occasions I have found bliss in one glass of good wine. By the end of the second –at least for me- the bliss is gone.
We all know, you can have too much of a good thing. A whole sack of chocolate versus one truffle, for instance. The question is; can you have too many good things?
Make a list of what brings you bliss and rather than following one, balance your time among them all.
Which reminds me- I have some labels to add to my wine list and a book to add to my favorite reads. Now I’m off to follow my bliss….

Writer's Relief For Haiti

Check out the article arcgbw.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/writers-relief-for-haiti.

Getting Started

Okay- I've been told I should have a blog. It's supposedly a good networking tool and I'm all for networking. I have my real estate school and maybe past and future students will follow my blog and tell others and  before long, I'll have a real following for my school.
I'm also working on a memoir book and enjoy writing memoir essays and other creative non-fiction, so supposedly I can post some of my writings here and somehow, friends and family will find them and pass them on, and before long, I'll have a following for my writing.
If none of that works, then oh well, at least I will have enjoyed the writing.
Oh and hey, if you're reading this and have something you'd like to post here on my blog. Go for it! I like to read too~