Back in October I went for a dream – I auditioned for the role of co-host for a Rhode Island morning program called the Rhode Show.  A friend told me about the open casting calls and without hesitation I booked a hotel room and blocked the time off on my calendar.

Having never auditioned for anything before, I was, in a word, nervous.  Fearful thoughts like – “You’re not good enough.”  “What are you thinking!” “Who do you think you are?”  – ran through my mind.  And at the same time I remained cool.   Ever since I started hosting and producing my community TV show in 2007 I knew I wanted this.

While I didn’t get a call back (I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed) I had the time of my life, and learned, as always, an incredible amount as a result:

Support, Support, Support! I will say this until I die. Thank you to all the people who supported me in this adventure.  Creating positive support systems is critical when going for a dream.

“This is where I’m supposed to be.” As soon as I finished the audition I said to my friend, “That was awesome! When can I do it again?  This is where I’m supposed to be!”  I typically make decisions based on what I don’t want.  On this particular day, I became pretty clear about what I do want.  Taking action towards your dreams helps create clarity about your path.

Building confidence and competence. As a result of taking this step I now know what I’m capable of achieving and what I need to improve.  My confidence was boosted considerably when one of the judges asked me, “Have we ever done a segment about you on the Rhode Show?”  “No” I responded. “Well we should!”  Now that was “feel good” living.  The best way to build competence and confidence is to take action.  What action can you take to build that confidence, regardless of the outcome?

Enjoy the ride.  I fully understand the meaning of “enjoy the ride”.  The ride is where the fun, excitement and stories come from.  I left thinking “Maybe I don’t really want the gig, I just want the excitement of going for it!” I happen to be an adrenaline junkie.  If you find yourself feeling impatient, or simply wanting to reach that final destination, remember getting there really is a big part of the fun!

There is no failing when you go for it. I didn’t get a call back and I cannot consider that a failure.  I learned an incredible amount about about my skills and my character. I know what I will improve for the future, and it re-ignited a fire in my belly.  If you want something in this world, you can’t stay home and dream.  Eventually you have to get off the couch and go for it – again and again and again.

Thanks to this experience, I’ll be re-launching my TV show, Back to Your Senses, as a weekly online segment right here on this blog starting in January.  Filming begins next week and I’m excited about the new direction and even more excited to bring it to a wider audience.

I also have a new mantra for 2010:

There is no failing when you go for it.

What are you going for in 2010?  What support do you need to help get you there?  Seek it out, create a plan and make it happen.  Share your dreams below and we can all help each other take the necessary steps to get there.

Karl at Work Happy Now declared October 5 Happy at Work Action Day.  In honor of that I spent some time thinking about my own work happiness and how I got here.

Because I haven’t always been happy at work.

WORK UNHAPPINESS…THE SHORT VERSION
For most of the 10 years I worked as a market research professional, I experienced work unhappiness.  Work is boring; the pay isn’t enough: complain, complain, complain. In my last job fear and anger took over as I “protected” myself from the environment. I yelled, screamed and even cursed at colleagues. Several years have passed since those days and still I blush with embarrassment at my behavior.  I became so angry during the day I couldn’t take it anymore and with very little preparation, I made the emotional decision to quit the corporate world and start my own business.

Self-employment was the key to my work happiness, right?

Then why, several months later was I still miserable and still complaining?

I began to think something was wrong with me.

That’s when I began to dig deep – to figure out why work made me so unhappy.

VALUES, STRENGTHS AND LIKES
I discovered many reasons for my unhappiness. I also discovered that if I wanted to make a shift I needed to:

• Identifying what I enjoy
• Identifying my strengths (Taking into account feedback from others)
• Identifying my core values

4 values emerged:  Experience, Guide, Fun, Feel Good

Before I identified my values I often used those words/phrases intuitively – referring to myself as a guide and always providing experiences during my talks and of course yoga classes.  And if fun isn’t involved, why bother?  It’s in those moments when I embody all 4 values that I’m at my best.

The funny thing is, these values have always been there. They were hidden under the guise of what I SHOULD do and the belief that in order to make money, work wouldn’t be fun.

I used to day dream about my perfect work environment: A place where people could talk freely and work = laughing a lot and having fun!  In many of my work scenarios today I have that.

For me work happiness wasn’t as simple as choosing happiness.  Identifying my likes, strengths and values has made all the difference in how I approach my work. I needed to go through my own process, heal some old wounds and identify what is important to me.  For a long time I didn’t think I’d ever be happy at work.  With time, patience and a willingness to be open, it became a little easier.

These days when I’m feeling stuck or lacking inspiration I check in with my core values and often find that I’m “out of alignment”.  When I get nervous about presenting in front of a new group I remind myself – guide them through an experience that is fun and feels good!  When I do, my audience has fun and feels good. And I do, too.

What about you?  How do you find work happiness?  Do you struggle?

For those of you who are regular readers, you will notice a difference to the site. For those who are new, welcome! And let me explain. As I worked on my website Sunday morning something went wrong.  With the click of a button my website disappeared.  Three years of posts and content that can only be restored through manual cut and paste. Just a little stress inducing.

If you’re not convinced about the power of thought, the power of intention or the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for,” I ask you to think again.  Earlier this week I told a colleague I wish I could blow up this site and start all over again.

And although this isn’t exactly what I had in mind, today my wish came true.

It’s not the end of the world. After getting over my initial upset, I realized this is a blessing. I wanted to make changes for a while.  Yes, it will take time.  Yes, it’s a nuisance.  A little yoga allowed me to return to calm and create an appropriate plan while still enjoying my Sunday (despite the Patriots loss). Things like this happen all the time. We expect one thing and get something entirely different. How we respond makes all the difference in the final outcome. Instead of being upset with the situation, I’m excited for the future of the site!

The next time you encounter a situation that doesn’t go as planned, check in with your response. It will have more of an impact on your final outcome than the situation itself.

As I put the pieces together I ask for your patience during the “reconstruction”. In the meantime, you can still reach me by phone at 617.548.5877 or email .

During this episode Stacey talks to Victoria Haffer about yoga, nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle.

On this episode of Back to Your Senses, Stacey interviews financial architect Paula Harris and Money Coach, Kathleen Burns Kingsbury about money, stress, emotions and the economy.

Air date: February 2009