From the INTRODUCTION This book is for all the people who long for time to reflect, revitalize, and refocus their lives but can't afford a full-fledged sabbatical. If you are stressed out, burned out, or simply out of energy and fresh ideas, this book will show you how to recharge your batteries, assess what's genuinely important in your life, and rediscover who you are and what you really want. I started writing CLARITY QUEST to a dear friend who was very unhappy in her job. It actually began as a drawing and a few bullet points on a napkin.

I'd met my friend for a walk on a beautiful August evening. We hiked through a grove of redwoods and discovered, at the top of a hill, a breathtaking view of the bay and the valley below. It was dusk, and the light was soft and golden. The pine-scented air was very still, and house lights were just coming on. They looked like distant stars twinkling in the valley below. We stopped for a few minutes to admire this wonderful panorama. It was beautiful and very peaceful.

After a few moments of silence, I turned to my friend. She was clearly not at peace, even in this beautiful, tranquil setting. Worry lines were etched on her forehead. She looked extremely tired and distraught.

She told me she was mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted from working at a very stressful job that she didn't enjoy -- but that she was terrified of losing. Her company had recently reorganized, and she was doing work that had previously kept two people busy. The daily meetings, long hours, and work-related problems completely drained her. Nevertheless, she worried that if she worked fewer hours and didn't complete all her tasks, she'd be the next person to be laid off. She was so fearful that she had a hard time sleeping at night. Even her dreams were job-related. She dreamed that she was on a treadmill, running as fast as she could and unable to adjust the speed or get off.

Her job stress had started to affect other areas of her life. She began drinking more coffee, just to keep alert, and started eating at her desk to save time -- mostly unhealthy vending machine foods loaded with sugar and preservatives. She quit her exercise class after work so she could put in a few extra hours, and stopped going out with friends in the evening because she was too tired. At the end of the day, she barely had enough energy to microwave a frozen dinner or to stay awake for a television program. Her relationship with her partner suffered, and she stopped enjoying life's simple pleasures -- beauty, joy, laughter, and love.

As much as she disliked her job, she couldn't see how to restructure it and couldn't face the prospect of looking for another one. Basically, she was too tired and too fearful to think at all.

I was very saddened by my friend's state of mind. Her lifestyle and attitude had changed dramatically under these stressful working conditions. She was only forty years old and felt that she had reached a dead-end in her career and her life. She felt stuck and didn't know how to get unstuck. She had no hope, no dreams, and no life beyond her current job.

My friend was paying a very high price for remaining in a job that she didn't enjoy.

PRESCRIPTION FOR A FRIEND

We talked about her dilemma on our way down the hill. The walking and talking helped, but it wasn't enough to re-energize her. She was like a car whose batteries are nearly drained, that is low on fuel, and that desperately needs a tune up. She was depleted and wasn't going to perform at her best until she recharged, refueled, and tuned-up.

By the time we finished our walk, it was completely dark and I suggested we continue our talk in a nearby cafe. I asked the waiter for a pen and drew a mountain on a paper napkin. At the top I wrote Rx for a Friend: Clarity Quest.

While the memory of hiking up the hill was still fresh in her mind, I asked my friend to visualize the view from on top of a very high mountain. At the summit she would be able to see clearly in all directions. She would see things from a higher perspective and in their true relative importance to one another. I used the example of reaching the summit as a metaphor for what she needed to do in her life. She needed to rise above her fears so that she had an unobstructed view and could see clearly what changes she needed to make in her life.

To get beyond her fearful state, she first needed to renew, restore, and recharge her energy. She could then reach the top of her mountain with a clear and alert mind and focus on what she needed to change in her job and her life in order to make both more satisfying.

I outlined the eight-week Clarity Quest program on the napkin and promised that if she followed it, she would gain the personal strength and inner power necessary to get back in control of her life.

Web Master http://www.ammondson.com/cq_ch0.htm 1119

Copyright © 1999-2003 Ammondson Communications All rights reserved. Any reproduction, adaptation, or translation without prior written permission is prohibited, except as allowed under the copyright laws