What is Greatness?

Written by Barbara Huson

This one had me stumped. I liked the sound of those words: “The Primary Goal for Sacred Success™ is Achieving Greatness” (see my last blog entry). But admittedly, I was also intimidated by them.

I thought of women I considered models of Greatness: Mother Teresa, Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Friedan. But I also thought of my daughters—one an organic farmer, another a nursery school teacher, and the oldest a stay-at-home mom. I may be a bit biased, but I honestly see my girls going for Greatness, each in their own way.

So I began asking myself–“what does Greatness mean?” According to Merriam-Webster, Greatness describes someone who is “remarkable in magnitude, degree or effectiveness.”

Every one of us is capable of remarkable feats. We don’t need to be anything extraordinary. We do, however, need to play full out.

Here are what I see as the 15 traits of Greatness:

1. Greatness refuses to be limited or controlled in any way by fear. (Fear is to greatness what ants are to a picnic… annoying, inevitable, and best ignored)

2. Greatness follows ideas that come from seemingly nowhere.

3. Greatness doesn’t act alone. It has partners, collaborators, a team.

4. Greatness is humble, not to be confused with Grandiosity. Grandiosity comes from the ego and is, as A Course in Miracles tells us, “always a cover for despair.” Greatness is sourced from the soul and is always a desire to do what it came to earth to do.

5. Greatness sees the world as it’s playground and every problem as part of The Game…a lawsuit is no more serious that losing a stapler.

6. Greatness takes its mission (not itself) very seriously, and always puts that mission first.

7. Greatness truly enjoys Greatness, not just for itself, but for its positive effect on others.

8. Greatness respects and appreciates money… sufficient income is necessary to eliminate any distractions for achieving its goals.

9. Greatness isn’t perfect, and is more than willing not to be. Greatness feeds on self trust (the definition to self-trust: knowing you can clean up what you mess up!).

10. When pain enters Greatness, it’s meant to be a wake-up call.

11. Greatness is kind, but tough, and politely endures criticism. While Greatness doesn’t need be liked, it demands to be respected.

12. The Arc of Greatness involves many mistakes, failures, wrong turns…they are the steppingstones to Greatness.

13. Greatness is passion made manifest. The biggest pitfall to Greatness–doing what you should vs. what you love.

14. Greatness requires responsibility, rejects mediocrity, and resides in the unknown.

15. When Greatness dies, it doesn’t go away. Greatness always leaves a legacy behind.

Anything you’d like to add???

The Paradox of Sacred Success™

Written by Barbara Huson

Sacred Success™ is what my soul had been yearning for. It just took me a while to figure that out. Perhaps you feel the same. Perhaps, like me and many others, even though you deeply desire, definitely deserve and will likely reap hefty financial rewards, you’ve somehow always known there’s more to success than making lots of money.

Sacred Success™ does not require sacrificing financial reward in order to find fulfillment and meaning. Quite the contrary. Sacred Success™ merges higher incomes with a higher calling. Each successful woman I interviewed explicitly expressed her unshakable desire to increase her earnings. Yet her drive was no longer fueled by making more, more, more. . .

Here’s where I got stuck…until I discovered the Paradox of Sacred Success™

The Paradox goes like this: In order to play the game of Sacred Success™, you must have a strong profit motive firmly in place….which is essential to overcome underearning and attain financial stability. But…here’s the catch…at this point, you must give up profit as your primary goal. The Primary Goal for Sacred Success™ is Achieving Greatness.

Next: exploring Greatness.

Let me introduce you to Sacred Success

Written by Barbara Huson

I spent much of last year pondering this question: Why was I—along with scores of other women who’ve overcome underearning—still having difficulty cracking the code to even higher earnings?

Then, one day, it hit me.

Basically, there are three levels of financial development:

Survival—doing whatever it takes to stay afloat
Stability—generating enough cash flow to meet one’s needs, eliminate debt, and establish future security.
Affluence—accumulating ample disposable income to live the life of one’s dreams.

The women I’d interviewed, who made millions, were playing a very different game than what I had expected. That’s because men tend to be highly motivated by profit, perks, and prestige. In the male world, the promise of affluence is a powerful incentive.

But not for women. Once a woman becomes financially stable, she is no longer motivated by money. What motivates her is helping others…or as numerous women described it, “ a search for significance.”

These are two very different paths to affluence. “Show me the money” versus “Show me how to help.” Too many women—like me—futilely struggle to navigate the first path, without realizing they have another option.

The latter is what I’ve come to call Scared Success™. It is the journey from stability to affluence…the game that is quietly being played by countless women (and, I might add, quite a few enlightened men!).

Stick around, and I’ll tell you exactly how to play!

Bye, Bye Surrender; Hello, Sacred Success™

Written by Barbara Huson

I suspect my time spent in Surrender is drawing to a close. I’m walking away with a whole new appreciation for down time and empty space.

But just recently, I’ve been sensing a shift. My energy seems to be changing.

You know that light at the end of the tunnel I spoke about in Step # 6? I think I’m there…standing in the light, not looking at it from afar. The future is finally coming into focus.

I realize now, what I called Surrender was really Gestation. Despite feeling like ‘nothing’ was happening, I’ve actually been quite ‘busy’ birthing a new body of work…which eventually will grow into my next book.

I call this new work Sacred Success™…the next step after overcoming underearning. I stumbled upon Sacred Success™ while interviewing women who made millions. But I really didn’t put all the pieces together until I surrendered. Then, it was as if the pieces arranged themselves.

Just last week, like a proud mama, I took my new ‘baby’ out into the world.

I spoke at Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts (www.mamagenas.com)… my first speech in ages. I told them all about Sacred Success™. The 200 women in the audience were transfixed. It was like my soul was speaking directly to theirs. And they were hungry for what I was saying. Afterwards, I was deluged by those clamoring to hear more.

Now I’m chomping at the bit to share Sacred Success™ with even more women. I desire to do it right here on this blog. So invite your friends.

Discovering Sacred Success has changed my life. It really has. I believe it can change yours too. I’d love you to read my upcoming blogs and let me know what you think. I genuinely want your feedback.

The Beginners Guide to Surrender–in 6 Simple Steps

Written by Barbara Huson

Surrender is NOT for sissies. Surrender, by definition, means relinquishing control…a frightening concept for us control freaks. Surrender drops you swiftly into a sea of uncertainty, at the mercy of your worst fears, producing serious doubts about ever being productive again. I’m speaking from experience here.

But, despite the discomfort, I’m fast becoming a fan. Something happened when I stopped struggling to impose my will and surrendered to receiving guidance–financial success started to feel like a spiritual journey.

Primitive cultures and Eastern Religions had rites and rituals to honor the Time- Between. They took their people out of the villages, into the wilderness, allowing them to connect with their spirit guides, reassess old ways of being, recognize their true purpose.

But no one teaches us, or even encourages, this practice any more.

So, for those of you wishing to take some time out in a rich and rewarding way, I bring you The Beginners Guide to Surrender ( so named because it’s written by a total beginner…me!). There’s no need to leave your village, or even your job. Just follow these 6 simple (though not easy) steps.

Step #1—Eliminate everything but the most essential.

I remember saying to my guy last winter, “I wish I could take the next month off!”

“Why don’t you?” he responded.

I gasped. Taking time off was unthinkable. Or was it? I decided to ease into it slowly, by saying ‘no’ to things that didn’t feed my soul, no matter how lucrative…or tempting. I said ‘no’ to speaking invitations, ‘no’ to networking opportunities, ‘no’ to new clients, ‘no’ to writing my newsletter and blog. If anyone asked, I was on sabbatical until further notice. I continued a little teaching and coaching, but only because I wanted to.

As a result I was left with a lot of down-time…which, of course, is the whole point.

But to many, down-time is a dirty word. And I know why: we’ll do anything to avoid the dreaded step two.

Coming up: Step #2—Allow uncomfortable feelings to surface.

The Beginners Guide to Surrender – Step 2

Written by Barbara Huson

After you’ve eliminated everything but the most essential you’re ready for Step 2…

Step #2—Allow uncomfortable feelings to surface.

Uncertainty, fear , self doubt–all those demons we’ve been artfully dodging through over-work, over-eating, over-spending and other drugs of choice—will inevitably rear their ugly heads.

For me, my biggest fear was being invisible, disappearing, not mattering. I knew that was exactly what I had to face. Because, I knew very well, on the other side of fear is power. And, more than anything, I wanted to retrieve all the power I had given away in a myriad of ways. So, too, I yearned to retrieve all that creativity I felt I lost. To that end, I also knew that uncertainty, as anxiety producing as it was for me, is the natural beginning of all creative acts, a primal state of pure energy, a very fertile time.

It’s been an emotional roller coaster, but I buckled in for the ride. As I wrote in Overcoming Underearning: “When you learn to face that which makes you fearful, it need never control you again.” I genuinely believe that!

Check back tomorrow for Step 3 – Reassess, reevaluate….

The Beginners Guide to Surrender – Step 3

Written by Barbara Huson

I’m here to tell you, it’s going to be very tempting to jump into idle distractions–like going on a shopping spree or planning an ambitious project—anything to avoid those difficult feelings. What I did, when I found myself looking for excuses to escape (ok, I admit I fell off the wagon a few times), was to throw myself into Step #3.

Step #3—Reassess, reevaluate

The first question most people ask themselves, when facing uncertainty, is: what should I do? I’m here to tell you, that’s the LAST question to pose. The first questions should always be: What do I need to let go of? Where am I giving my power away? A big piece of surrender is letting go of what’s holding us back, reclaiming our power. How do you know what needs to go? Whatever you’re most afraid to release.

For me, I was willing to let go of writing, speaking, my business in general, my identity in particular….I was willing to make space for whatever was to come next.

I used the time to ask myself questions: What am I here to do? How do I want to live? Who do I desire to help? Where do I want to make a difference?

I journaled, meditated, read A Course in Miracles, joined a master mind group, processed my insights daily with friends.

Self reflection became my major focus.

Coming up – the result of my self reflection.

The Beginners Guide to Surrender – Step 4

Written by Barbara Huson

Surrender means taking time to go within. It also means looking outward with new eyes. That’s what Step #4 is all about.

Step #4—Receive consciously.

Receiving is an acquired skill most of us have never learned. I’ve come to see that Successful Surrender requires Conscious Receiving. And the first Rule of Conscious Receiving is: Give Up Judgment. In other words:

Everything that happens, ‘good’ and ‘bad’, is seen as a message or a gift.
There is no negative, there is no positive, there is only information.
Whatever occurs during Surrender is simply feedback about your future.

For example, during this period, I got an idea for a book, was all excited, and sent it my agent. He rejected it immediately. Normally, I’d be devastated…and, admittedly, I was for a bit. But I began looking for the gift, the message, the lesson. I figured it wasn’t time for the book but I’d be shown when it was. And if not the book, something else will surface.

I continued to journal, meditate, self-reflect . Then, a few weeks ago, someone asked me when I was going to do another newsletter. Of course, I took it as a sign. As I wrote it, I felt compelled to blog. So, here I am. Who knows what’s next!

Next: Final Steps

Beginner’s Guide to Surrender – The Final Steps

Written by Barbara Huson

We’re coming to the end of the Beginners Guide to Surrender. You’ve learned about:

#1-Eliminating all but the essential

#2—Allowing uncomfortable feelings to surface

#3—Reassessing, Reevaluating

#4—Receiving Consciously

And now (drum roll, please….) the final two steps.

Step #5—Enjoy yourself

Surrender doesn’t need to be so serious. In fact, it shouldn’t be. I believe fun factors heavily in healing. I set an intention to include lots of play and pampering into my schedule, to be vigilant for opportunities to nourish myself. My boyfriend moved in, and what a joy he’s been. I have regular massages. I work out religiously at the gym. I visited my kids and my grandkids. I made plans to go to Sedona with friends. I’m always looking for a good laugh or a big hug, whatever lights me up.

Step # 6: Do what comes next

I’m convinced, as I follow these steps, opportunities, often disguised as coincidences, will arise. In fact, I’m counting on that fact. My job is just to do what’s next, grabbing whatever the Universe tosses my way. I’m still in thick of surrender, but I swear, I see light at the end of the tunnel. I’m just not sure what I’ll find in that light. But I trust it will be glorious! Not necessarily glitzy or grandiose. But deeply satisfying and truly meaningful. Oh what a grand adventure life is!

Signals of surrender

Written by Barbara Huson

How do you know when it’s time to surrender?

In my case, I just felt ‘blah’, squeezed dry, devoid of creativity, lacking the passion that once was so prominent. These feelings sort of snuck up on me, caught me by surprise, sometime last summer.

My coach, Martha Lynn Walker, suggested I take a retreat, get a way for a few days. I did and blogged about it earlier – https://www.barbara-huson.com/its-a-miracle/

I returned reinvigorated, back in the groove. Or so I thought. A few months later, my business partner and I split up. At that point, I really felt lost.

I knew, right then, my “blahs” and the break-up were more than isolated incidences. They were wake up calls, signals from my soul, sending me an urgent message: Stop what you’re doing; Pay attention; there’s something you need to know, but you must be quiet enough to hear it.

I wonder how many of you are receiving similar messages, alerting you to the fact you’ve somehow drifted off purpose or perhaps your direction may be morphing into something altogether different. I wonder how many of you haven’t a clue what to do. Or are horrified at the very thought of taking time out. Well, my friends, I’m here to help.

Coming up next: a Beginners Guide to Surrender

Blog

What is Greatness?

The Paradox of Sacred Success™

Let me introduce you to Sacred Success

Bye, Bye Surrender; Hello, Sacred Success™

The Beginners Guide to Surrender–in 6 Simple Steps

The Beginners Guide to Surrender – Step 2

The Beginners Guide to Surrender – Step 3

The Beginners Guide to Surrender – Step 4

Beginner’s Guide to Surrender – The Final Steps

Signals of surrender

Meet Barbara Huson

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