1)      They embrace their faith. 
Having faith ensures a life filled with hope, a life filled with purpose and life that has meaning. When I say “faith,” I’m not talking about faith in a person, a government, a trust fund, etc. I’m talking about faith in something bigger than us; something amazing. In my case, it’s blind-but-now-I-see faith. As you may know, I’m a Christian, but I’m not even going there. I’m going with a scientific and medical approach: data indicates that people of faith cope with life’s difficulties in a more positive way. They tend to bounce back faster, they move forward more fearlessly. Don’t get me wrong, people who have no bigger-than-us faith can certainly be happy, but happiness without faith is circumstantial. Faith gives birth to an internal joy that circumstances cannot alter. Being a person of faith, it’s difficult for me to see the other side. I’m sure there are exceptions to this data set, as there are for most things. But if you read nearly ANY happy-people or successful-people articles, they all include faith as a factor.  I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough.

2)      They dream big but work strategically.
Unfortunately, being hyper realistic doesn’t always make for the happiest of people. It normally doesn’t make for the most successful of people either. People who aren’t afraid to dream big tend to have fewer limitations and therefore achieve more. Where would we be without big dreamers? When was the last time you met a super happy person who didn’t have ambition? Moreover, they don’t apologize or make excuses for those big dreams – no matter how ridiculous a more “practical” person might think they are. HOWEVER, dreaming big doesn’t stop a happy person from working strategically – in the real world – toward the realization of those dreams. Everybody thought the Wright brothers were nutso, because they dreamed BIG – guess what though; they worked strategically, on the ground, long before they ever flew.

3)      They LOVE and SERVE others.
There’s an old adage that suggests the quickest way to forget your own problems is to help someone else with theirs. It’s SO true. People who are solely focused on themselves are intrinsically less happy than those who have legitimate caring for others; selfless, loving care. Truly happy people are happy when others are happy. They’re happy just being happy that others are happy. It’s a beautiful circle. It doesn’t take a whole lot, and as someone who genuinely loves people, I can personally vouch for this one. Happy people smile at other people, they wave at strangers and they give off a really good ‘vibe.’ Happy people don’t want to be happy alone. Who wants to hang out with a bunch of sour-lemon eaters all the time? The happiest people I know are people who enjoy being around other happy people. For this reason, they do things to ensure the people in their lives are also happy. They try to use their successes and their talents or gifts to bless other people with reasons to be happy alongside them. Yes, misery loves company. But, happiness loves company too. The good news is that happiness is more contagious than misery. Don’t believe me? Check this out from WebMD:

“New research from Harvard Medical School and the University of California, San Diego suggests that happiness is influenced not only by the people you know, but by the people they know.

The study showed that happiness spreads through social networks, sort of like a virus, meaning that your happiness could influence the happiness of someone you’ve never even met.

Sadness spreads too, but much less efficiently, says study co-author James H. Fowler, PhD, of the University of California-San Diego.

“We have known for a long time that there is a direct relationship between one person’s happiness and another’s,” Fowler tells WebMD.”

4)      They take care of themselves.
Happy people usually feel pretty good. It’s difficult to feel happy or be successful when you also feel crappy. Yes, again, there are exceptions to this rule. But, let’s face it, people who are super bubbly usually feel super bubbly.

5)      They view rejection and criticism from a positive point of view.
No matter how we try, we can’t change other people. We can only change the way we react to those people. If someone in your life is super negative, mean or harsh when they provide you with criticism and/or advice, or if they reject you outright, it’s up to YOU to spin that negative into a positive (this is true of way more than just rejection and criticism, but these two seem to be some of the biggest things people struggle to accept). The happiest and most successful people in the world can quickly turn a criticism into a learning experience and a rejection into protection from something worse down the road.

6)      They practice positivity.
I say practice because this is a skill that anyone can learn and it certainly takes practice. A positive outlook on life is a CHOICE, just as your attitude is a choice. ** Disclaimer: I am not speaking to clinical depression or other legitimate mental disorders that result in altered brain chemistry. While I think practicing positivity is a good way to cope with depression, I fully understand the REALITY of brain chemistry and it’s impact on depression. I am talking to people who make the conscious choice to be life-long crab-apples. If you don’t make the effort to change your outlook, you’ll still be crabby ten years from now. Practicing positivity means making the CONSCIOUS choice to look on the brighter side of every situation. Happy, successful people DO NOT take themselves too seriously and they aren’t afraid to laugh, a lot, out loud. Laughter is great medicine.

7)      They are DOERS.
This is an easy one, and pretty self-explanatory. If you’re doing, you’re not brooding. Happy and successful people are living in forward momentum. They want to get stuff done and have something to show for it at the end of the day – even if what they have to show is simply the memory of doing something memorable, like watching a great movie with their kids or even something more extreme, like hang gliding. In short, happy, successful people are not lazy people. Harsh? Maybe. True? Absolutely.

8)      They live in the present and the dream in the future.
Past is past for a reason. Happy people do not try to live in the past. They remember the past, they learn from the past, but they DO NOT relive the past over and over. The stuff that’s in that baggage of the past won’t fit the person of today anyway. People who are truly happy have let go of their past baggage and they focus on what they’re doing today and they dream of where they’ll be in the future. It’s a bit of a challenge to let go, but again, much of being a happy person is having mental discipline. All this stuff takes some practice, but it’s so worth it in the long run.

9)     They clearly, vividly, and purposefully define their goals and they BELIEVE they can achieve them.
Vague goals aren’t usually effective. You want to lose weight? Great, how much weight exactly? You want to go on a mission trip? Great, where to? You want a new car? Great, what kind of car exactly? When I started clearly defining my goals, I became much more focused on achieving them, and believe it or not, achievement came much faster. But setting goals isn’t enough. You have to believe you can actually achieve those goals. Whether you want to be a bestselling author or someday own a sailboat, you need to be able to see yourself in that future. This can be challenging also, especially when your goal seems very far removed from where you are currently. Yes, dream big, set the bar high – but not so high you don’t believe you’ll actually clear it. You can always set an even higher goal after you’ve cleared the first one. It helps me to actually visualize myself reaching the goal. What will it feel like, what will it do for my family? What will it mean for those I love? Will it help me help other people? What will it look like, smell like? I know that sounds hokey-pokey, but as sure as I sit here, it really does work. I know, because I’ve lived it. I close my eyes and clearly picture myself achieving it – it makes BELIEVING you can do it so much easier.

10)   They understand that they won’t be happy all the time.
There’s a myth among mankind that happy people can’t be hurt, or that they don’t feel anger, pain, etc. Unfortunately, this means that happy and successful people are often left holding the short end of the stick in certain situations. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “I didn’t think you’d mind,” or “she’s more sensitive than you are so we went a different way” or something like “he needs this account more than you do.” People who are truly happy understand this fact. They also get that they don’t have to be happy IN EVERY MOMENT. But that’s not the important part. The important part is – they’re OKAY with it. Yes, they’ll look for the bright side, they’ll bounce back, and so on, but not every moment has to be a happy moment. Being able to effectively handle negative emotions is a sign of emotional intelligence (this is a real thing, look it up), and it makes for a well-rounded, healthy individual. And not only that, statistically and historically, emotionally intelligent people are more successful over time (as in, with longevity) than their counterparts. Intrinsic happiness INCLUDES an understanding of other emotions as well, which is exactly where we get the phrase, “I need a good cry.”
😉

Now get out there and get HAPPY!

Time is  our most valuable and limited commodity. We all have a finite amount. We all get 24 hours in a day (A lot or a little depending on your outlook). One of the most common issues I come across when working with clients is a general disregard for the value of time and a general lack of concern for the fact that, well, time WILL come to an end for all of us at some point. How do we determine the value of our time and what do we do with the time we have left once we finally wake up to the fact that yes, time is running out?

I know, it seems dark and morbid to say that “death is an ultimate motivator.” But, it’s so true. Think about it, whole artistic movements have emerged from the idea that we should all live today as though it were our last day on earth.

Now that everyone is feeling really upbeat and happy, let’s get to the actual point of this post:

If you want to determine the value of your limited time so you can better utilize said time to build a life you can be proud of, you must complete a few steps:

1.       Determine your strengths. There are some things you’re good at and some things you’re not. This is true for EVERYONE. But bear in mind, just because you’re “bad” at something, doesn’t make it a waste of time if you’re passionate about it. I once knew a boy who loved to write. He was TERRIBLE at it, but he enjoyed it so much that he wrote for the sake of his own mental stability. That is OKAY. I suggest we don’t think about those types of “bad at it” tasks. Let’s focus on the tasks that not only are we bad at, but we hate as well. If you HATE mowing the lawn, and it always looks like an alley cat with mange when you get done, it’s NOT your strength… but maybe you’re really good with flowers, and can grow a flower garden with barely a flick of the wrist. Well, that’s a strength (to which I say, pay some kid a few extra bucks to mow the lawn and save money on a landscaper by doing your flowers yourself).
   *) Here’s a side note for you; you can be good at something and still hate it – but that is RARE. Most people REALLY ENJOY THE THINGS THEY’RE GOOD AT! When was the last time you met a really great artist who hated creating art? Probably never.
   *) Side note two; it takes approximately 10,000 hours of practice at anything to be considered “really good.” This is not my statistic. I heard this at a seminar I attended about time management and it really stuck. Why in the world would anybody spend 10,000 hours doing something they hate? They probably wouldn’t. Unless they’re mentally unstable.
   *) Sidenote three; HERE’S A BIG ONE – I am not, I repeat, I am NOT talking about the things you don’t like but MUST DO ANYWAY. Please continue to launder your clothing, clip your toenails, brush your teeth, wash your dishes, et cetera.  FOCUS… the lesson at hand pertains to people who continue to do things the hard way, despite having BETTER OPTIONS!
2.       Determine the actual, quantifiable value of your time. I found a website called clearerthinking.org that dedicates an entire program to figuring out the value of time and how that value varies with each individual – the crazy part is that your time value is as unique as your fingerprint almost! This website has tons of other cool stuff I’m still exploring, but WOW to figure out the value of your time in terms of monetary expenditure is totally eye opening.
3.      Decide WHAT you’re going to do about it. And ACTUALLY DO IT.

Here’s the thing, most of the people I help on a daily basis have spent hours upon hours working on their businesses and have nothing to show for it. Why? Because they’re NOT WORKING IN THEIR SWEET SPOTS. If you’re not good at something, and you hate doing it – there’s a good chance, no, a GREAT chance that you’re slower at it than you are at something for which you have talent or passion. For example, if you know you need a website to launch your health and wellness business, but you don’t know anything about websites and you don’t LIKE web design and you even hate the idea of learning about domains, you’re NOT going to be quick and you’re certainly not going to have the best website in your market.

It seems SO clear when you look at it from this perspective: If I’m going into business and I will have competition, and I KNOW I suck at web design, WHY? Why? Why am I putting countless hours into designing a web page that will be, at best, mediocre? Will it compete? No.

The reasons people do this usually revolve around “control” (this is one of my ‘things.’) I like control, but once I realized (several years ago now) that I could be more in control of my life as a whole as soon as I let go of control on some sticky details, I was FREE! And, I’ve never looked back.

This is true of anything. If you REALLY VALUE your time, isn’t it smarter to find someone who IS PASSIONATE about, say, web design or content writing (or whatever – and yes, these just happen to be products Virtue provides) and let them do the work you don’t like/don’t do well? Because when someone is passionate about a particular thing, they do their best work! Meanwhile, you could focus on the stuff that pertains to your ACTUAL BUSINESS, like perfecting your product or working with clients.

Money is another factor that keeps people from valuing their time as they should. Because somehow, though it doesn’t logically make sense, they’d rather spend 100 hours of their time doing something they aren’t really gifted toward than to make the investment and let a professional finish the SAME PROJECT in a fraction of the time. There’s a good chance this group has never taken the value time test, nor have they counted up how many hours they’ve actually spent doing what they hate/are terrible at doing. To these people I say, since time is your most valuable and most rapidly depleting non-refundable, non-renewable resource… WHY AREN’T YOU PAYING CLOSER ATTENTION TO IT (I mean, do you just waste money all over town, doing things you hate to boot, without ever thinking about the funding source)? NO, you do not. Unless you’re, again, mentally unstable.

I beg you, do the time is money test – but beyond that, think about where you WANT to spend your time. If today were your LAST DAY, would you be glad you spent it doing something you hate? The investment is up to you, because YOU’RE the only one who will see the return.

Love in Him,

Tylie

Okay, so I admit, today’s post is unique in that it pertains to a role that Virtue doesn’t even offer as a position. As CEO, I am also CCO (a fact that I now know, upon researching this subject); which is exactly why I’m so intrigued by this concept. You may have heard this phrase thrown around the corporate world and wondered “what in the world is THAT?” Well, wonder no further

Bear in mind, a company’s culture should be established at its origin, but because life changes on a dime, it’s important to establish a protocol for maintaining YOUR culture, in the midst of constant cultural change.

• Corporate culture is the pervasive values, beliefs and attitudes that characterize a company and guide its practices. To some extent, a company’s internal culture may be articulated in its mission statement or vision statement.

So what does this mean for you?

A growing trend amongst Fortune 500 companies is to expand the C-suite by adding a Chief Culture Officer position. Tasked with creating and promoting an enduring culture which defines a company, the CCO does not have an easy job. Culture changes quickly in our digital age and through experience top management is discovering that change is coming no matter what. Their choice is to either embrace the idea and add their ideas, or let the culture become a product of anyone who chooses to wield their influence.

What Does the CCO Do?

Tin he Chief Culture Officer is becoming an increasingly vital cog in the modern corporate machine. The CCO mixes and mingles with the frontline employees but has easy access to the CEO and COO. More than just a middle-man, the CCO helps to shape the public image of a corporation as well as the internal culture.

He/She will need to observe the natural ebbs and flows that occur within a culture and predict where they will go next. By using the inevitable change to their advantage, a good CCO will gently influence where needed to keep the public and internal image synchronized as well as positive. This keeps employees productive, engaged and committed.

Being a CCO is not an easy task and requires an absolute commitment to having a great corporate culture. The right person will utterly glow when speaking about how to incorporate the “millennial culture” into the corporate structure. They will wax poetic about how longer more playful work breaks actually result in more completed work and smile when everyone objects without really considering the evidence. The good CCO will accomplish what he/she set out to accomplish; a workforce culture that is in blissful harmony with the corporate culture.

By accepting change as a major asset, a corporation can become an industry leader rather than the recipient of other’s crumbs. The CCO understands this and works with everyone to take the company to greater heights – and profits – than ever before reached.

Why Does Anyone Need a CCO?

Though it is a new concept, learning the craft of controlling corporate culture is incredibly important to your company’s image and brand. When no one is paying attention to the culture, then chances are the employees are dissatisfied.

The economy has caused everyone to tighten their belts and the frontline people feel the cinch more than any other department. Many corporations discover too late that their corporate culture is hating the corporation; in some cases with good reason. The cost of the “Great Recession” has been passed to down to the employee in the form of decreased benefits and wages yet increased responsibility. Of course there are the lay-offs too which have a bad habit of making people feel disposable.

So in an age where many employees feel like property rather than people, it is increasingly important to avoid being the “evil corporation”. By consistently providing direction to your employees and giving them the tools they need, your employees can work smarter not harder. Freeing up time once wasted on fixing broken copiers and re-setting the (stupid!) router, you can now get more work out of your existing staff. And guess what? They will enjoy doing it!

Research proves that employees who feel valued and like they are part of something important are more productive and less likely to leave. They are more likely to be proud of where they work and to recruit others to join the team. No better PR could be had for your corporation than the effusive praise of your own employees.
Getting Started

Since Chief Culture Officer is a new position within the c-suite, the role might have to be crafted from scratch. An emerging group of consultants and think tanks are beginning to offer their services in this area for a fee. The position of CCO will be rolled out like any other product complete with even an implementation team! This time of uncertainty for the CCO will be short as a group of leaders from the millennial generation are ready to change the image of corporations from hostile to familial. Start planning now and it will be much easier when the time comes for you to begin influencing your changing corporate culture.