Q & A with Angie Strader from The World Needs More Happy

Hi everyone,

If you've visited my blog, A Story Writer At Heart (Among Other Things), you should have noticed that I've been having Q & A sessions with some very interesting people. Firstly, there's Mike Spillman (Future You University), who actually gave me the idea. Then there was Russell Emerson. Now I'm so proud to say that Angie Strader from The World Needs More Happy has agreed to a little Q & A session with me.

Angie Strader is the creator of The World Needs More Happy which is a place where people can come together on a global level in a positive and uplifting environment so we can begin to collectively shift the overall level of happiness in our world. To learn more about this amazing woman please visit her profile on The World Needs More Happy.

She graciously accepted the Q & A request. Here's the result:

I'm sorry this took so long, but I really did want to dedicate time to it and nor rush it. Thank you again for asking me to participate. It allowed me to dig deep and gain clarity on some things - at least as far as where I am today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring! With sincerity - I appreciate you!

1) What is your idea/your definition of success? Success is realizing your true purpose in life and living in accordance with fulfilling that purpose. Many people define success with a specific income level or by achieving fame, but those are only visible measurements of achievement and do not necessarily equate to success. Someone may feel their purpose in life is to be a silent monk where another person may feel their purpose is to be a circus clown. As long as each individual lives according to their highest calling, does the right things and makes the right choices to live in alignment with their God-given purpose, I consider them a success.

2) What are you willing to do to be a success? As I continue on my journey I will only do what I feel aligns with my values and principles and do it with utmost integrity. I will do my best to be genuine, authentic and serve others as I feel that is when I am at my best and living in accordance with my true purpose. I strive to do the right thing always, even when the right thing may be uncomfortable. I have faced some very uncomfortable situations in my life in which I would not compromise on what I believed to be right. Although it was painful to go through at the time, I will never look back with regret. I am able to be at peace with the decisions I have made in my life.

3) What are you NOT willing to do to be a success? I will not compromise my own values and belief system in an attempt to be successful. I will not jeopardize my core values or exploit others for personal gain.

4) What are some of your short-term goals? (For the sake of brevity, my answers are restricted to my professional goals)
a. To continue to build The World Needs More Happy (www.theworldneedsmorehappy.com) as an online community where people from all over the world come together to create a positive shift in the collective level of our overall happiness in the world
b. Create a Happiness Leadership learning system available online and through corporate training sessions
c. For The World Needs More Happy Friday podcast to reach and hold a position in the Top 10 self-help podcasts on iTunes
d. To be a contributing writer for a local publication within the field of positive thinking and mental well-being
e. To begin public speaking at a local level for organizations and businesses

5) What are some of your mid-term goals?
a. To author an uplifting and inspiring book and it be published by a reputable publisher
b. To do national public speaking events in conjunction with the release of my book
c. To be a contributing writer for a national publication within the field of positive thinking and mental well-being

6) What are some of your long-term goals?
a. Author several best-selling books that continue to truly uplift and inspire others
b. Travel the world creating more happiness through various projects that I haven’t even thought of yet
c. To allow opportunities to unfold and continue to make a positive difference in the world

7) What are you willing to do to achieve those goals? I feel so strongly about my calling/purpose in life that I will do everything within my power to help others achieve a higher level of happiness - just as long as I always live in accordance with my core values and do everything with the highest level of integrity.

8) What are you NOT willing to do to achieve those goals? I will not jeopardize my family or my own happiness in the process of attaining my goals.

9) What are your values/beliefs?
Beliefs: I believe that above all else I must be true to myself. I have strong convictions and I know deep down what is right and wrong. I will do everything in my power to do the right thing always. I believe in being the best person I can be so that I am honoring my family as well as myself. I believe in continuous self-development so that I am always stretching and growing towards my highest potential. I believe in servant leadership. I know that through serving and helping others I am doing my greatest good. I believe in truth and honesty. I believe in God as my higher power and through him, anything is possible. I believe in destiny and that everything happens for a reason. I also believe that no matter how bad things seem, things will get better and everything happens for a reason. I learn from each challenge and each success.
Values: I value the love I receive from my husband, my family and close friends and draw strength and inspiration from those relationships. I value my health (mental & physical) and I do daily work to be strong and healthy so I can be the best I can be. I value my freedom to choose to be and do whatever aligns with my purpose. I value my ability to be independent (as well as inter-dependent) and I am proud to be born in a country that allows me the right to choose my own path and make my dreams, goals and purpose a reality.

10) What advice would you give to someone wanting to make it as an entrepreneur, whether online or offline? If you already know what your calling or highest purpose is, then you need to believe in yourself and your higher-power source to pursue your destiny. Do your best to come up with a plan for your new venture and attain any necessary skills you need in order to move forward. You also need to know that you cannot plan for everything and there will be challenges thrown at you. You need to have the confidence in yourself and the deep conviction that what you are doing is the right thing for you and those around you and never give up.

If you don’t do not know what your calling is, you may just need to take the leap of faith and allow your destiny to unfold before you. I recently had to learn to “let go” and “let it be.” Once I did that – once I quit trying to force things and control everything, I discovered my purpose and everything has begun to fall into place according to God’s will. This was not easy to do and my own stubbornness held me back for a long time, but once I got it, my life has really blossomed.

11) Anything else you'd like to share? Thank you for your interest in what I have to say on these topics. I am truly flattered! I took these questions seriously, tried to dig deep, and through it discovered more about myself. I appreciate every opportunity I have to help others reach and strive to be reach their goals and achieve personal happiness. No matter where they are today or the challenges they face, I hope those who read this will be inspired to be the best they can be. We all have a higher purpose. Quit trying to force, manipulate, and control your destiny, as it will only delay things. Your life and your destiny have already been written, all you have to do is let go and it will be. Much happiness to all!

Angie

-- Angie Strader
angiestrader@theworldneedsmorehappy.com
817.431.6247 office817.881.3042 cell
www.TheWorldNeedsMoreHappy.com
Facebook: http://profile.to/angiestrader/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/WorldMoreHappy

As you can see, Angie was very gracious in her responses. I can't thank her enough.

God bless...

MJ
"NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER GIVE IN!"
http://budurl.com/cibblog
http://budurl.com/storywriterinbzblog