Live Your Fairytale

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WHAT EXACTLY IS A FAIRYTALE?

Is it the perfect fantasy that we only read about in children's books like Cinderella, Snow White or Rapunzel, or see in movies like Ever After, Shrek and Lord of the Rings?

Fairytales are quickly disregarded because people think they are unattainable. Marry the prince or princess (many of us live with a broken heart), rule the world (some people don't get out of the mailroom), become beautiful (we are not all supermodels), be the hero and save the world (even Bill Gates, who has a lot of money and is trying to eradicate polio, can't save the world).

Yet if we consider the structure and path of a fairytale and apply it to our own lives, suddenly it doesn't seem so far off. We can get there. Don't we all deserve a fairytale life?

But how do you do that? Both in your work and in your personal life?

According to a paper (written by Bette U. Kiernan, MFT at MIT) on the use of fairytales by psychologists like Carl Jung, the fairytale is often a hero's journey, which is an 'archetype,' or representation of the sharing of the collective thoughts and issues that we deal with in our own lives. We all want many of the same things. We want to figure our lives out, to achieve, to be happy. A fairytale enables us to become part of a grander, unified consciousness. We relate and we connect with others. This is the essence of a fairytale and its usefulness for the good of all. It is happiness.

Step one is finding where we belong. Part of this journey is the journey itself. What's included in that journey are the key elements of a fairytale:

•Your current world isn't all that
•You are introduced to a new world (or you get curious and explore until you find what you want your world to be)
•You jump into your new world (new experience, job, relationship)
•It is going well--and then it doesn't
•But then, after learning, exploring, committing, using intuition and determination, you end up happier because you allow yourself to dig deep until you reach the point where you say...
•This is great! I love my life; my job, my relationship, myself
•Or not

If not, then go back to the beginning and do it again.

Take President Abraham Lincoln.

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•1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
•1818 His mother died.
•1831 Failed in business.
•1832 Ran for state legislature - lost.
•l832 Also lost his job - wanted to go to law school but couldn't get in.
•1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
•1834 Ran for state legislature again - won.
•1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
•1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
•1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature - defeated.
•1840 Sought to become elector - defeated.
•1843 Ran for Congress - lost.
•1846 Ran for Congress again - this time he won - went to Washington and did a good job.
•1848 Ran for re-election to Congress - lost.
•1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state - rejected.
•1854 Ran for Senate of the United States - lost.
•1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party's national convention - get less than 100 votes.
•1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again - again he lost.
•1860 Elected president of the United States.

Abraham Lincoln is the classic fairytale. I bet you didn't know that.

From my perspective, the most important ingredient to living your own fairytale--the one thing you must do in order to achieve true happiness and love your life:

Never, ever, ever, give up.

Never, ever, ever.

Never, ever.

Never.

Never give up.

That's it. You will prevail.

If you keep at it, from my perspective, you can live a fairytale - a life of happiness - every day.

What could be better?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jody B. Miller Jody B. Miller is the CEO of C2C Executive Search & Strategic Management. She also writes books about work/life balance, articles for The Huffington Post and LinkedIn about topics we think about (yet don't always talk about), and novels about love and friendship. Her new book; SHIFT, How to Find True Meaning in Your Work and in Your Life, will be in stores in late 2016...

If finding meaning in your work and life matter to you, consider signing up for a signed copy of SHIFT and get yours directly from the author when it comes out this year. Included in your pre-order will be a personal assessment test that you can take to get a better idea what will make you jump out of bed in the morning, ready to take on the day!