Success Defined

Success Defined 

What does success mean for you? Does it mean being wealthy, a big house, jewelry, cars, lots of friends and parties to attend? That seems to be the American version of success but would all that make you happy?

That’s the big question because we’ve all heard about the celebrity, sports figure or CEO who by all accounts seems to have it all and yet the person succumbs to depression, drugs and even suicide. Why? Why would this person do such a thing to their self? Perhaps the person couldn’t emotionally handle the demands of his or her profession or was trying to live up to someone else’s expectations of who they are. Who knows?

The meaning of success is relative in that it all depends on an individual’s definition of what it is. In some cultures being able to provide for your family is success in another it might be how selfless you are in your daily encounters and deeds.

The best definition of success I’ve found is the following;

To laugh often and much

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends

To appreciate beauty

To find the best in others

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch...

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived

This is to have succeeded.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Notice it has nothing to do with material things or your status in your profession but more about how you’ve conducted yourself and treated others throughout your life, not just when things were good but particularly when things were bad. Amazingly none of the above criteria costs a dime. It’s what you and I already posses and if we don’t then we need to work on our self to achieve it. It’s possible.

When the above criteria are met we’ll have a sense of accomplishment in that we’ve lived our life well. The smiles come easier, the heartfelt joy exudes from our bodies and we can whole heartily grin and be happy because we did achieve our goal of being a success. 

The Dalai Lama’s view on life

The Dalai Lama’s view on life is worth repeating.

Live it.

Share it with others.

1)   The purpose of our lives is to be happy

2)   Nothing is permanent

3)   Love and compassion are pillars of world peace

4)   Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to achieve it

5)   You have to start giving first and expect absolutely nothing

6)   Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is w wonderful stroke of luck

7)   Kindness is the key to peace and harmony in family life

What will be your Legacy?

What will be your Legacy?

“What do you want to be remembered for when you die?  I love to ask people this question.  Their answers tell me much about what they’re up to in life.

I once had the opportunity to ask Steve Jobs the cofounder of Apple and creator of the Macintosh computer.  His answer surprised me.  He said, “I want to be remembered as the best father in the whole world.”  Not what I expected from a living legend – a brilliant man who is leading pioneer in the technology revolution, and a marketing genius to boot?

If I were to ask you the same question, “How do you want to be remembered when you die?” what would your answer be?

You don’t have to be world famous to make a difference in the world.  Perhaps you are active in your community, or in your church or synagogue.  Maybe you are involved in politics.  Millions of people make a difference by volunteering in hospitals, hospices, homeless shelters, and social service organizations.  Maybe the difference you make is in the arts, with your music, writing, painting, sculpture, or other art form. Perhaps you are one of those angels known as teachers – who make a huge difference by educating our next generation of citizens.  And maybe, like Steve Jobs, the difference you are most interested in making is within your own family.

The question is: What will be your legacy to the world?”

What do you want to be remembered for after you die?

Make your mark, your legacy, in your own way. It doesn’t matter if no one else thinks it’s special.  It only matters if YOU think it is.

Clue- If it makes you happy it’s special

Make your mark.

You Have Everything You Need to Succeed

You Have Everything You Need to Succeed

Look around. Take a closer look. You already have the talent you need right now for the next phase of your goal.  Why else would you have it? You either have it because it’s the primary resource you need to achieve your goal or it’s a secondary supporting talent. Either way it’s something you don’t need to think about, you just do it.

Every talent you have right now has prepared you for the next phase of your goal. Therefore you already have the tools you need to succeed.

It really is true.  If deep down you didn’t think you could do it you wouldn’t even have the goal to begin with.  And it just doesn’t apply to you it applies to those you know.

You already have all the resources you need.  They may be three degrees removed from you but they’re there.

 

- It could be three more web sites you need to search before you find your answer.

- It could be three more calls you need to make before you find the person that can help you.

- It could be three more places you need to check out in order to start the elimination process.

- It could be a friend of a friend of a friend that finally gives you the job you’ve been looking for.

These are just a fraction of the resources you have available to you.  The important thing about your goal is not only thinking about it but taking action.  A seemingly insignificant casual conversation could be just the break through you’re looking for.  Take stock of not only what you have going for you, like your talents, but who you know.

Be persistent.

Keep your eye on the prize.

Above all else have the faith that it’s not a matter of if your goal comes true but of when. 

Where’s the Reset Button?

Where’s the Reset Button?

Ever have those days when things just aren’t going right and you wish you could start all over? I’m giving you permission to do just that.  Push the reset button.

Of course sometime you may need a total shut down and reboot.  However, it’s much better to do one of those versus pushing the escape button.  By escaping you’re not dealing with what’s going on and what you could learn from it.  The restart and reboot buttons say you know something isn’t right but you’re willing to meet the obstacles head on with new direction, determination and focus.  It’s about taking the negative out of the situation and turning it around into a positive one.

We all need to have a reset button. The problem comes when you either don’t recognize it or don’t create the space to allow your mental and emotional state to deal with it. When something isn’t working for you – restart.  Who says you have to continue on in that capacity anyway, no one?  It’s just you plugging away hoping things will get better if you keep keeping on.  Instead stop, take a deep breath and remind yourself of what makes you great.  Once you’ve got that “feel good” feeling back, go back to what you were doing.  If you’re having trouble with that you may need to have a conversation with someone who knows you well enough to get you back into that space.

Okay, your system has been reset.  Go be the talented, amazing, fun loving person you are.