2) Scan your mind. Watch your thoughts go by as though you are watching a parade. No need to jump on any float as it passes. You're not rodeo queen on a prancing horse, or festival princess waving to crowd. You're a spectator. Watch.

3) Separate. Whenever we are disappointed, our past disappointments bubble to surface. Things get stirred up, and our accompanying emotion often has more to do with cumulative effect of our lifelong disappointments than this particular one. We tend to catastrophize and lump it all together into one big fat Disappointment Package.

Don't let that happen. Look at this one incident as totally separate from others. Each float stands alone.

4) Float. I call this "Float between Floats" approach. Now that you are watching this parade of floats without climbing aboard any of them, turn your attention to that brief moment between them. Sure, you know another one is coming. It's not quite in front of you yet. There is nothing you can do but wait. No sense spending your time or energy setting expectations that it will be spectacular. No point in worrying that it will be disastrous. Hold that space and float in it.

Settle into mindful watching--of your body, your mind, and world around you. It is an opportunity to go beyond wound licking. Watch as your thoughts change from “Why?” to “What can I do next?” We often jump into action—-retaliatory, self-protective or simply distracting—-without gleaning our most important lessons from disappointment.

The ability to "Float between Floats" will provide clarity and comfort. Use this time to develop your awareness. It will help you recognize power of mindfulness and endless stream of floats that pass by.

All things considered, it's one heckuva parade.

Now that you have established a plan for what you want, this step is about turning your attention from you to benefiting others: your employer, community; colleagues, friends and family. “I need to take care of myself 1st” does not work as well as this technique – by a long shot. Instead of focusing on creating results for yourself, forget your salary, your bonus, being acknowledged etc. Just get job done without expecting anything in return. Expect nothing! It can be such a freeing concept.

It is about helping and solving problems for benefit of others - not yours. Surprised? Well, give it some serious consideration and more… do it until you begin to experience amazing coincidences, unplanned opportunities and accelerated results.

If you are in transition in your life and wondering whether you should create your own business or not: start by looking for kind of people that need services of someone with your skills. Look for a problem to solve, behind that you will find grateful clients and customers.

If you are looking for a job, do same: look for problems that need be solved in a hurry! Behind that is a future employer. Now, start nailing those problems with passion and you will become indispensable.

Here are some examples of giving:

• Don’t give money, regularly make your knowledge available by teaching or mentoring
• Give useful and respectful feedback to people around you
• Work a lot harder than you are expected to. Do what is asked of you and do more
• Help colleagues around you when you have opportunity

For each of these examples, expect nothing in return.

Step #7: Keep paddling! Life is about contributing and joyful work

A lot of us dream about financial security, admiration by others, never having a boss again or traveling around world.

Please explore question: “When you have made it financially and you have done it all, what will you do during rest of your life?” What does fulfillment look like to you and what would you be doing? Can you start doing a bit of that now?

Who ever said that success is about sitting by pool all day, sipping juice for rest of your life? That would look like reaching ultimate level of uselessness. Wouldn’t it? We also might not be designed physiologically to be unproductive all day. “What would happen to wild lion if it could eat meat 3 times a day without hunting?” I would answer: “It would probably need a lion psycho-therapist to survive and get out of depression!”

I want to suggest that by working hard at what you have decided to do and by contributing to others’ success, joy and self-satisfaction may be so high that counting work hours will become irrelevant. Your focus may become to stay physically healthy so you can do even more. Go out there, take these 2 extra steps and make world a better place!

© Herve da Costa, Certified Master Entrepreneur & Get-it-Done Coach.

www.MyPrivateCoach.com