Is the desire to be and feel successful in our work, life, and relationships a universal pursuit? It's certainly something we often talk about and strive for. Our personal definition of success varies for each person and situation. During a conversation with my Mom, I was reminded about one of my favorite "success" stories about my Dad.

Like many others of his generation, my Dad worked for the same company for 25 years. He could have easily become a lifer. Due to several reasons, at age 50, he made a bold move. He gave up the familiar along with security of income and benefits to start his own company. With two kids in college and one about to start (me,) he took a big financial and personal risk.

The story goes that on his first day of being his own boss, he went to his newly rented office and worked. Opposite of his normal work habits, halfway into the workday, he left to see a movie. He’d never done that before. Later that night when he got home, he told my Mom about his movie adventure. When she asked him why he went, he said, "I wanted to see what would happen."

“Refine what you’re doing, try something new, and pave the way for your success.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

That singular event, set the stage for the next 25 plus years as he tested the “let’s see what will happen” theory. He became highly successful in his computer graphics consultancy business as he traveled the world saying, “yes” to opportunities and trying things he’d never done before.

While the lessons I learned from him are many, here are a few of the success rules my Dad modeled for me:

9 Success Rules

1. Try something new.

2. Question the familiar.

3. Fear will be there, but forge ahead anyway.

4. Just because you never have, doesn't mean you can't.

5. Connect people.

6. Say, “yes” to opportunities.

7. The glass is half full.

8. Humor is a good thing.

9. Enjoy the journey.

It’s a new season. It’s a chance to reset your goals, refine what you’re doing, try something new, and pave the way for your success. What does success look and feel like? What are your success rules? I’d love to hear from you. Come join the conversation.

We've all been there. We had our glasses just a moment ago, and now we can't find them...anywhere! Normally I'm pretty good with my glasses. I've devised a system that involves multiple pairs strategically kept in the places I use them (office, nightstand, pocketbook, organizing bag, and car etc.) This makes life simpler and less stressful. My glasses are always ready and waiting.

However, the other day, the oddest thing happened. I walked in the house carrying too many things. When I set the items down on my desk, I knocked over my glasses and heard them drop to the floor. Instead of picking them up right away, I first took care of a few other things. I watered the plants, smelled the newly opened candy-scented irises, sorted the mail, emptied the garbage, and filed some receipts.

Then, I went back to my office to organize the rest of my packages and pick-up my glasses. My dropped glasses had disappeared. I looked everywhere. It’s not a large area. I crawled on the floor, used a flashlight to look beneath the cabinets, and emptied my pocketbook. I kept thinking, "They have to be here. I heard them fall."

I walked into the space and out again, hoping they'd magically appear. Where the heck did they go? Glasses don't have wings! Then I started getting silly. I'm laughing at myself because I just knew they were there and I just wasn't seeing them. I told myself to stop getting nuts and wait for my husband to come home. I figured with another person's perspective, they'd be found quickly.

I wanted to let go and stop obsessing. And then it happened. As I stepped back one last time to take an overview of the area, I saw my glasses. They had landed on their edge onto the connecting hardware of my desk chair.

Lesson learned. Sometimes in order to let go, we have to step back. Have you ever found that a different perspective allowed you to let go? What was your experience? Come share with us and join the conversation.

When I captured the image of these luscious, lively eggplants at a local farmer’s market, excitement rushed through my body. Their deep violet hue drew me close. In thinking about the pursuit of success, a similar feeling of vibrancy exists when we take action towards our goals.

Last week I attended the annual ICD conference with organizing colleagues and related professionals. We went to learn and connect. The focus of the conference was how we think, act and feel about possessions. As an organizer, these ideas are at the core of the work we do with our clients. There were many presenters including psychologist, Dr. April Lane Benson, Ph.D. who spoke about overshopping, artist Corinne May Botz who shared her work on the Secret Lives of Objects and counselor Carol Berns, Psy. D. who talked about grief and bereavement.

The learning was stimulating, but so was having the chance to meet face to face with my colleagues. Taking time to reflect, converse, and learn separately from my daily routine allows me to grow personally and professionally.

We are very much like the eggplants that were planted from seed and cared for. When we take ourselves away from our normal schedules to travel, meet new people and exchange ideas our beings get nurtured. It is essential to our success.

Allow yourself to step into new environments, be open to learning and slow down enough to appreciate what surrounds you. There is a good chance you will experience that surge of energy that comes from stepping outside of your “normal.” Let vibrancy shine as you move towards the success you seek.

Please join the conversation. What gives you energy and makes you feel vibrant?