Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Author of twenty-four books, Alexandra Stoddard is a sought-after speaker on the art of living. Through her lectures, articles, and books such as Living a Beautiful Life, Things I Want My Daughters to Know, Time Alive, Grace Notes, Open Your Eyes, and Feeling at Home, she has inspired millions to pursue more fulfilling lives. She lives with her husband in New York City and Stonington Village, Connecticut.

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Thus Alexandra Stoddard introduces this book of simple, profound truths for joyful living. Stoddard, a mother, grandmother, and noted author on personal fulfillment, offers new ways to nurture ourselves, celebrate life's joys, and grow through its challenges. By turns wise ("Give anonymously"), controversial ("Unplug technology with no apologies"), affirming ("Tell yourself you have done nothing wrong"), and humorous ("When you discover something you love, stock up"), these are insights from a woman who has truly lived and learned—and found happiness along the way.

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Things I Want My Daughters to Know

HarperCollins Publishers

Find Work You Love That
Supports You Financially

To find out what one is fitted to do,
and to secure an opportunity to do it,
is the key to happiness.
John Dewey

The work we choose to do each day accumulatively becomes our life'swork. The opportunity to do good work stimulates our life force. Mylife has been shaped, enriched, and transformed by my love of my work.I work for life satisfaction. Through the happiest times in my life, as wellas the most painful ones, my work has always sustained me.

The world doesn't owe us anything. We owe everything to theworld. Our work is our way of expressing ourselves, of being a cocreatorin this dynamic earthly journey we call life. You decide what yourwork is, and your work may be much larger than your "job." Try to envisionthe big picture as you move along.

Through our work we give back to the world a portion of whatwe've been given. Our reward emerges from the work itself. We workto grow, to stretch ourselves, to discover new truths, to deepen, and toserve. We become more aware and more alive when we find work that we believe is important and that we love doing. We transcend ourselvesthrough work that makes us discover more about what we really believein and what we truly love to do.

Through our work we're given opportunities to reconsider ourthinking. In my career as a decorator, I was trained to create formalrooms based on eighteenth-century aesthetics. Through experience andexposure, I realized I enjoyed a more relaxed, informal style for living. Itbecame my mission to help clients create homes that reflected theirunique personal style and needs. This mission eventually led to my currentcareer as an author and speaker on living beautifully. Thus our workexpands our personal potential; we're rewarded with a greater understandingof what is true for us and what our contributions can be.

Why am I so happy that my work is always available to me? I amself-employed. I am a self-starter. I can prepare a lecture or seminar. I canwrite. I can decorate or sell art. Whatever I do, I enjoy the process. I ama student of life, of truth. I study the classics in the interstices of the day.I carry a tote bag with me when I travel so I can read, write in notebooks,and continue to learn.

When you find work you love that supports you financially, that isideal. Hundreds of people have confided in me that when they do workthey love -- as a teacher or a librarian, a yoga instructor, a college advisoror a dancer -- they don't need as much money because they arehappy. When people are not happy in their work, they have a tendencyto want more money because they are unfulfilled by their work.

If you don't love your work, but it puts food on the table and providesfor you and your loved ones, this is not ideal; but working to surviveis honorable. An actress waits on tables at a restaurant while sheauditions for roles. Temporarily, this is fine; you do what you have to doto live. This shouldn't be the case indefinitely, because it can be draining,sapping your vitality and enthusiasm, and selling your soul. This is not your true work; it is a paying job. If you must do this, enrich the restof your life by seeking out activities that will feed your soul.

What would be ideal work for you? What are you doing to movetoward this goal? What if you find work that fulfills your monetaryneeds and involves you to some degree, but is not wholly satisfying?What then? Try to enjoy fully the parts of it you can and satisfy otherinterests through volunteering, hobbies, and spending time with yourfamily. Your untapped skills may be put to good use through volunteerwork that may enrich you nontangibly.

Stay in touch with your feelings. You can't afford to become bitterbecause your job isn't what you hoped it would be. Keep striving forwork that really fits the big picture. Aim high. A key to a happy, well-livedlife is to find work you love that allows you financial independence.

Don't settle forever, or for too long, for work you don't love. Youneed to aspire to work that makes you thrive, that you're proud of, thatis a perfect fit to your talents, gifts, and passionate interests. In order touse our energy constructively, we need to pursue work we love. Whenwe love our work, we will sustain true, inner happiness. Work and love,love and work, become one.

When we love our work, we become energized by it, not enervated.Seek and find work that allows you to give your gifts to the universe asyou teach yourself new skills. We shouldn't merely work for a living: weshould work to make a life. Work can be what leads us to help our communityor our world, and to produce something lasting. For a blessedfew, history has shown us, work can bring immortality.

No matter what happens to you, when you love your work, you willmaintain your independence and, therefore, your freedom. As an adult,finding work you love is your responsibility and, I believe, your duty. Ifyou find it, it promises to bring harmony to the rest of your life. We're here to develop our gifts, to share them with others in service. The idealis to find paid work that nourishes you and others. Loving our work isprimary to accomplishing this goal.

Excerpted from Things I Want My Daughters to Knowby Alexandra Stoddard Copyright © 2007 by Alexandra Stoddard. Excerpted by permission.
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