Let your treasures shine

We all know that S.O.S. is a distress signal sent in Morse code by ships and planes. In a different context, it can be seen as a call for action in our personal lives, too. I’m talking about Same Old Stuff syndrome. That’s when we set an awesome goal, work hard to achieve it, and then realize joy and fulfillment are no closer than when we started. Setting and pursuing goals is not the problem. It’s often the approach we take that falls short. To achieve authentic success based in joy and fulfillment, let your treasures shine.

Is that all there is?

People are quitting jobs in droves right now—the highest rate since the turn of the century. At the same time, new business ventures are at a 13-year high and the divorce rate is skyrocketing, too. It seems months in quarantine made us feel like children grounded for bad behavior — lots of time to contemplate our actions and consider making different choices next time.

The thing is, even when we achieve our goals, we’re often left wondering, is that all there is? 

Instead of landing on the island of our dreams, we end up feeling more like Tom Hanks in Cast Away: Not exactly where we thought we’d be when we set out on our journey. Even Wilson the basketball seems happier bobbing effortlessly around an endless ocean.

After a few too many of these, we may decide it’s just not worth our time and energy anymore. In some ways that’s true. But it depends on where we’re investing that time and energy.

The old switcheroo

“When you want to arrive at your goal more than you want to be doing what you are doing, you become stressed,” writes spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle in The Power of Now.

Focusing on the future (or the past) drains our energy and steals our joy. So does expecting external solutions to make us feel better. As Eckart reminds us, our power is in the present moment. That’s where we need to invest our time and energy.

Instead of creating that traditional ‘five-year plan’ for success, consider ‘the old switcheroo.’

Rather than seek joy and fulfillment in the future, create that now, in the present. How? By prioritizing whatever fills your days with joy, satisfaction, purpose, and peace. Because if we can’t find these in the present, how do we expect to magically find them in the future?

Sound like your teen’s way of getting out of studying for calculus? I get it, but that’s our ‘no pain, no gain’ conditioning speaking.

What makes you come alive?

The soul of an artist withers as a salesperson—and vice versa. Yet each of us can choose to wither or shine in our lives.

One of my favorite quotes is from civil rights activist Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Stop setting goals based on money, status, proving your worth, pleasing someone else, or following some social media tycoon’s recipe for success. Instead, set a goal to discover and express your own personal treasures now, today.

We all have them. For example, if you’re not into gourmet cooking, making a six-course meal is NOT your idea of an exciting Saturday night. But if your cherished copy of The Joy of Cooking is worn and stained from years of use, you likely can’t wait for a reason to crack it open. From choosing the menu and shopping for ingredients to cooking and serving that elaborate meal, the joy is in the process. (It’s called the joy of cooking, not the joy of eating a delicious meal.) Even the parts that aren’t so fun we embrace as part of the journey.

The same goes for gardening or crunching numbers or designing websites or caring for children or volunteering or drawing cartoons or a million other activities. To some these activities are drudgery, to others the golden nuggets of true joy.

Seeking outside to feel better inside

Granted, if we’re struggling to meet the basic needs of ourselves and our families, we’re likely feeling stressed, anxious, and worried all the time. Where’s the joy in that?

On the other hand, a 2009 study showed that at about $75,000 of personal annual income, we begin to experience diminishing returns. In other words, making more than that (adjusted for inflation) doesn’t deliver more happiness. The truth is money can’t buy us love—and often comes with a whole different set of problems that cause stress, anxiety, and worry.

As Eckart writes: “The unchecked striving for more, for endless growth, is a dysfunction and a disease. It is the same dysfunction the cancerous cell manifests, whose only goal is to multiply itself, unaware that it is bringing about its own destruction by destroying the organism of which it is a part.”

This insatiable drive for more is so common in our society it’s called consumer addiction. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, many of us keep seeking outside to feel better inside. And this backwards belief system is destroying much of what’s beautiful in our world.

There’s also a backlash rising up in the form of minimalism, mindfulness, downsizing and going off the grid. People are waking up and discovering that whether struggling to make ends meet or struggling to slow down, neither feels good.

Bring on the sunshine

It’s still great to set goals for ourselves. But like planting seeds in a garden, we need rich, fertile soil and sunshine to realize healthy, bountiful crops.

For any goal we choose, cultivating a positive mindset is the path to a positive outcome. When we’re feeling sad, angry, resentful, insecure, or any other negative emotion, we tend to make ill-fated decisions.

So, build a healthy, happy internal foundation first. Commit to prioritizing people and activities that make you smile, bolster your spirit, and bring sunshine into your life. Focus on authentic pleasures that truly feed the soul and elevate your personal vibration — not those temporary ones that lead to addiction. (If you wake up the next day and feel worse rather than better, that’s a sign.)

When we’re experiencing joy as a daily practice, we may no longer feel the urge to make a change. But even if we do, we’ll attract ideas, people, and situations that align with our higher vibration. And when storms come, we’re in a much stronger state of mind to weather them.

Let your treasures shine

It’s easy to get caught up in all the seemingly unsolvable problems in the world and chalk it up to S.O.S. there, too. But that’s where the old switcheroo gains exponential power.

As Ghandi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”  As we focus our time and energy on creating joy in our present experiences, we radiate that throughout the universe. Imagine more and more hearts pulsating with those good vibrations. That’s the power to create a tipping point towards positive change—within ourselves and in the world.

Do it today: Ditch S.O.S. forever by discovering what brings you joy. Then simply let your treasures shine.

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I’m a holistic life coach who specializes in expressive writing to nurture healing, insight, and creativity. Check out more inspirational articles at my blog, Good Vibrations. For more information about life coaching, visit my website at www.manifestwithmargrita.com.  Have a question or topic you’d like me to write about here? Email me at [email protected]. I invite you to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, too!