Yesterday I left you with some questions to ponder about whether your life, like the economy, needs a rescue plan.

When things get tough, successful people take inventory. Taking some time for reflection on questions like those is a good place to start.

Here’s the reason why:

Sure this whole global economic downturn is a complicated thing, but it seems to me that what’s at the heart of this problem is as much a spiritual crisis as a financial one. I’d say we’ve lost our way andI don’t mean to Wall Street.

We’ve lost our way because people buy things they really can’t afford. They are trying to drink champagne on a beer budget. Don’t get me wrong, I like the finer things in life. I think “buy the best you can afford” is a great motto. I don’t want to demonize wealth. I’m a big believer in abundance and all that goes with it.

But I’ll bet many people are up to their eyeballs and beyond in debt because they just had to have the biggest and the best and the newest “whatever” on the block. They bought houses and cars and toys that were really beyond their current means. They went on vacations they hadn’t yet paid for. They got the idea that they were entitled to the same kind of lifestyle that their parents had worked years for.

So why do people do that?

That’s the spiritual crisis. I think lots of people are trying to fill up giant holes in their souls with stuff. They’re trying to buy their way out of guilt. They’ve can’t seem to say no to themselves or their kids.. They’ve forgotten that money and stuff doesn’t buy happiness. If you aren’t content in your life, there’s nothing you’re going to buy at Walmart or Saks Fifth Avenue that will make you feel better. 

When you get right down to it, there’s been a lapse in morality - a steady decline in integrity. It’s sort of like stealing cookies from the cookie jar. You know it’s not right, but you really want that double fudge chocolate chip treat. And you also know, deep down, that eventually you’re going to get caught.

So here’s my challenge to you:

Take advantage of this economic crisis to take inventory on not only your finances, but also your moral compass.

Are your current choices a good reflection of your values?

Are you being a good role model?

Do you live beyond your current means?

Do you have the strength of character to require more of yourself?

What exactly do you stand for?

The great thing about a crisis is that it creates an opportunity to stop, reflect and correct your course as needed. Then you’ll be able to look back at the fall of 2008 and say, “Wow even though it wasn’t too pleasant that was the best thing that could have happened to me.”

What’s at the heart of your current crisis?

The 30 day challenge begins tomorrow!

Remember the question I asked yesterday?

What one habit, if you added it consistently into your life, would make a difference in your happiness or health?

That’s the first key step in the 30 day challenge.

Choose ONE habit - not several - to focus your enegy on during the next month. The more new things you try to introduce at the same time, the less effective you will likely be.

Choose something simple that you can do on a daily basis.

If you are trying to create a new habit and you only do something 2  or 3 times a week, its easier to lose momentum. Let’s say you want to create a habit of going to the gym 3 times a week. For the next month, focus on 20 minutes (or whatever is appropriate for you) of physical activity each day - which could include some trips to the gym.

Pick something specific, rather than something vague - eat 3 servings of veggies rather than eat better or 10 minutes of meditation rather than relax more.

Don’t forget to print your 30 day challenge calendar here.  More about tracking your success tomorrow.

My challenge?

Let me introduce you to a dear friend of mine. 

This is Cal, our 11 year old border collie. Used to be that he and I would regularly go for walks. Over the past little while, I’ve let my commitment to him slide. Not for any particularly good reason - just the usual excuses about being busy with other less important “commitments”.  He has an awfully sweet disposition and like most dogs a very forgiving nature. He loves me anyway. So my 30 day challenge is to get back to daily walks with Cal.  

What’s your 30 day challenge habit?

Post a comment and let us know.

Is there a new habit you would like to create? 

Then you’re in for a treat. My FREE 30 Day Challenge is the perfect tool to help you get started and stay motivated.  

Why join us?

• you’ll get a daily tip to keep you on track
• you’ll have the support of a community that wants you to succeed
• you’ll watch me as I work on my own new habit
• you’ll be able to ask questions each and every day by posting comments on the blog   

Want to take part in this FREE 30 Day Challenge?  

Here’s what you need to do:  

1.  Decide what one new habit you would like to create in the next 30 days.  Consider this question:  

What one habit, if you added it consistently into your life, would make a difference to your happiness or health?

2.  Download your 30 Day Challenge calendar by clicking here.

3.  Sign up to receive the email updates from the blog. You will see a signup box on the right side of the main blog page: “Get Email Updates”

Put your email address in the box and click subscribe - this is a double opt in system so you will need to confirm the email message you receive in your inbox.  

Each day during October I’ll post a new 30 Day Challenge tip to keep you on track. You’ll also get to see my progress on my own 30 Day Challenge habit. Once you have subscribed for Email Updates these tips will be delivered right to your email inbox.

4.  Post a comment on the blog and tell us what new habit you are working on during the challenge. You don’t have to use your full name.   Then feel free during the month to post additional comments about how it’s going - what’s working and where you are stuck.  I’ll respond to each of the blog comments you post.   No, you don’t have to participate in the on-line discussion - but you will find greater accountability and success if you do. The 30 Day Challenge will take place entirely here on my blog under the category “30 Day Challenge”.   

Tune in tomorrow…

as I share what new habit I’ll be working on - and give you some tips about making your habit specifc.

My beverages are taking to me again.

A while ago I had written an article about the wisdom on the side of a Starbucks coffee cup.

Today I tried a new brand of green tea called Yogi Tea. When I opened the pouch with the tea bag, it had a little message:

Bliss cannot be disturbed by gain or loss.

That’s another way of saying one of my favourite mantras:

Happiness does not depend on circumstances.

I come across so many people who think that their degree of happiness on any given day depends on what is going on around them. Not a chance.

Happiness is a state of being - a philosophical way to be in the world.

It comes from a deep connection to what matters most to you.

It comes from an ongoing spirit of gratitude no matter what natural chaos is coming your way.

It comes from blissful living - being passionate, curious, engaged every day.

When you begin to learn the strategies for shifting into a perspective of joy and happiness, life is a wonderful adventure.

You find wisdom all around you - even in your tea cup.

Where do you find your happiness?

Your mother probably told you that money can’t buy happiness. Well according to a new study, your mother might have been wrong.  Seems that having money doesn’t necessarily make you happy but spending it on other people does - even as little as five dollars.

That got me thinking about what makes people happy - truly content in their lives. Some people have a lot of fancy toys but they don’t seem too happy. Some people seem to have less but are blissfully content. And yes I know people who have both. I think in the end most people are looking to make some sort of difference in the world - to have mattered to another human being and made their life richer.

The Dali Lama says that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness - to maintain a feeling of compassion or loving kindness.  He says “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”  The more we care for others the greater our own sense of well being.

So how do you do that?

Well the Dali Lama says he tries to treat each person he meets as an old friend. That’s similar to something Wayne Dyer says: when you meet anyone treat the event as a holy encounter. You can bet if either of those guys crossed your path you’d probably feel happy.

My mother used to say, “What goes around, comes around.” When you open your arms to the world, its opens its arms right back. In this case, I think my mother got it just right.

How do you create happiness?

The problem with getting out of the box is that you have to know you’re in one first.

I was interviewed for an on-line article on “burnout at age 25” and never imagined that it would cause a little stir.  According to the journalist this article generated more responses than anything she had written before. 

What were people reacting to? 

The idea that following your passion and doing what you enjoy are actually options in today’s work world.  Burnout is really just a mismatch between what you expect to happen and what you are experiencing.  Seems like there are a lot of people out there who are hugely unhappy in their work, and feel trapped in their little cubicles.  They sound downright miserable.  They’re stuck on the idea that there’s no way out.

Stay or go - it doesn’t matter

The sad part is, whether they decide to stay at their jobs, or move on to something more fulfilling, what they don’t seem to realize is that happiness is simply a choice you make.  It’s not dependent on circumstances.  Period.

I meet people all the time who seemingly have it all - except they are not very happy.  And I also meet people who have more than their share of challenges - and yet they are contented and live with a spirit of gratitude.  When it comes right down to it, you get what you go looking for.  Happiness is always at your fingertips. Figuring out that you are always at choice - particularly about your attitude - is one of those magic little keys to life.

So if you’re stuck in a box - or a cubicle - thinking “that’s just the way it is”, let me reassure you there is another perspective.

How happy are you?