Happier

is the title of the book I am currently reading, and I'm really enjoying it. I found it sitting on Ray's desk (yes, he does read, just mainly nonfiction). He said the CEO of GE recommended it, so he bought it. It's quite interesting, and I thought I would share a blurb from it.


"People who set goals are more likely to succeed than people who do not...Setting a goal is about making a commitment in words, and words have the power to create a better future...Goals communicate to ourselves and to others, the belief that we are capable of overcoming obstacles. Imagine your life as a journey. You are walking, knapsack on your back, making good progress, until suddenly you reach a brick wall that stands in the way of reaching your destination. What do you do? Do you turn around, avoid the challenge posed by the barrier? Or do you take the opposite approach and throw your knapsack over the wall, thus committing yourself to finding ways of getting through, around, or over the wall?...Beliefs, psychologists tell us, are self-fulfilling prophesies, and when we commit, when we throw our knapsack over the brick wall, we demonstrate faith in ourselves, in our ability to achieve an envisioned future. We create our reality rather than react to it" (p 66-68).


For some reason, this has really struck a chord with me. Just throw the knapsack over the wall. Just do it. Make a commitment. There are several areas of interest that have been percolating within me, and I'm thinking I just need to go for it. "'The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would not otherwise have occured. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man would have dreamed would come his way'" (67).


I'm thinking this can apply to my teaching, my scrapbooking, my photography, and my health. So, to put things in motion, I am going to throw my knapscak over the wall and say that I am going to enter a HUGE scrapbook contest this year. It's called "Scrapbooker of the Year." (Seriously...they have a scrapbooker of the year award; with it comes $10,000 and many teaching/traveling/publishing opportunities). I've always been too timid to enter, but I've decided that I'll never know if I don't try, and I really want to give it a try. If what this book says is true, I have within me the capabilities of achieving my goal (entering AND winning), and by putting this in words, the universe will move to help me in my efforts.


What wall are you going to throw your knapsack over?