"You ARE truly successful!"
If you told 10 people you knew whom you believed were successful and observed their responses, it would be a learning experience. Most of them may be surprised about how you viewed them and some may even disagree with you. But it is nonetheless true that we are ALL successful.
If you've read up to this point, then you obviously are interested in my definition of success. Congratulations! At some point in your life, you've successfully learned how to read. If you know how to drive a car, you've successfully learned that as well. Can you tie your shoe, ride a bike, swim a lap, or jump rope? It's seems that you're more successful than you may even know.
If someone were to show you a list of all the things that you've succeeded at, from the day you were born up until now: You'd be quite amazed!
So why would some people disagree with you if you said to them, "You ARE truly a success? The most obvious reason is that people mistakenly correlate success with the amount of money they earn or spend. The more money you spend, the more successful you must be and vice-versa. But is this true? Does more money equal success? Many very wealthy people would say No!
A person who has a lot of money is wealthier, but not more successful. Acquiring wealth is only ONE thing that you can be successful at. If a person gained their wealth in a moral and legitimate way, it means that he or she supplied their clients with something of value that was in high demand. As a result, he or she became wealthy for their efforts.
Does that sound like an ALL AROUND success? No, because it isn't. It is definitely one aspect of success and something that should be highly commended, but people tend to use this one aspect as THE ONLY definition of success.
The truth is, only a very small percentage of people will ever be wealthy. Many successful individuals have no aspirations to be wealthy. Does that make them failures? Jesus Christ wasn't wealthy. Was he a failure? How about Mother Theresa? She knew that she wouldn't be receiving money in return for helping the sick and dying. Or how about the scientists, artists and musicians throughout the ages who lived in poverty but remained famous for centuries for their talents, discoveries and works they left behind?
As a subscriber to over 30 magazines, I get a chance to read and review a vast cross-section of knowledgeable individuals that I truly respect. Since the mission of our website is to enhance YOUR SUCCESS and HAPPINESS, I thought it would be interesting to recap some of their thoughts on what SUCCESS means to them. It's really important to develop your own meaning of success in your effort to developing your own values, which guide you to make crucial decisions that affect your life daily.
SUCCESS is:
Enjoying your life and your work to a degree that you don't have to prove you are successful.
Taking pride in pursuing your goals, celebrating the journey, and adding value to the lives of others.
Setting and reaching goals beyond your wildest dreams.
Performing a balancing act between personal and professional satisfaction.
Achieving harmony in your family life, spiritual life, and career.
Practicing perseverance and focus. Have you ever watched a chick break from its shell? That's success!
One of the best things that you could do for your self-esteem is to separate the definitions of WEALTH and SUCCESS. Wealth is only one aspect of success. If wealth is something that you desire, then do your best to be successful at it. If wealth is not your top priority in life, you ARE still a success in so many OTHER ways. Congratulations!