THE POWER OF SUCCESS

THE POWER OF SUCCESS

Success is the fuel of life. It energises and enlivens us. Without success, our lives can become dull and then dead.

Without success as a catalyst in our lives, we will not and cannot reach our potential. Striving for success is an enabler. It draws our best to the surface and allows us to see what we are really capable of achieving.

Success comes from within. Only we can make ourselves successful through our beliefs, thoughts and actions. Success cannot be given to you by others.

Success is a renewable resource. We can generate it every moment of every day and can bring an abundance to our lives that we never thought possible.

Enduring success is our prize to be claimed.

LET’ S TALK ABOUT SUCCESS

What is Success?

Success is, quite simply, achieving what you set out to achieve. I know it won’t surprise you, but you don’t have to be the wealthiest person in the world or have the most possessions or visit the most countries or have the most experience to be or to consider yourself successful. It is however society’s – and therefore ours, if you don’t stop and think about it

– view that success is measured by wealth, position, power and all the ‘things’ they can buy. On these rules success is always comparative and a competition based on who has the most. This is a game you do not want to play if you seek a life of enduring success.

Competing Against Others

Success has absolutely nothing to do with what others think of you or measuring your achievements against theirs. That is a fool’s game.

If you want to compete against someone truly worthy, compete against yourself. That’s right: compete against yourself. Adopt the mantra of ‘better every day’ and no matter how good you did yesterday you are going to do better today and better again tomorrow. Just imagine the compound effects if you improved every day. Before you know it, your achievements will be beyond your wildest dreams.

Wealth and Success

At the end of each day, you want to feel a real satisfaction in the effort you have put in and the rewards you have achieved. You want to feel an abundance within, a real joy and quiet knowing that you have worked hard for the rewards earnt. This is what achievement and being successful is all about.

Wealth is, at best, an outcome – a product of being successful. But it is not the ultimate outcome that everyone seeks. Wealth is pursued as a means to an end. Often that end involves things such as a magnificent home, an expensive car, overseas travel to the best destinations. But is this really what is sought from success?

I believe the real end sought is a freedom to pursue and achieve happiness in life. Society tells us to chase wealth as this will provide us with freedom, and the wealth can be spent on all the things that can deliver that happiness. But I don’t think any of us are silly enough to believe that wealth will, by itself, deliver a life of enduring happiness and success.

We really just want the freedom to do more of the things that give us joy. It sounds a bit corny in today’s society to say, “I just want to be happy.” But in all honesty, it is what our heart searches for and it’s why we ‘buy’ all the things in our life, as we think they will bring joy to us. And maybe they do for a fleeting moment. But enduring happiness comes from within and cannot be sold or purchased. It is created by you through the pursuit of a life of enduring success and is a renewable resource that comes from within and will become your fuel for life.

Are you comfortable with pursuing happiness in your life and openly saying, “This is what I want”?

Why is there so much confusion about success?

As I discussed above, from the day we are born I believe we are taught to look at success through the achievements of others. “See what they achieved?” and “Why can’t you be as good as them?” are common put-downs. We are taught to measure our success against the achievements of others. And while it is good to acknowledge how well someone else does, it is not necessarily a healthy way to develop our own sense of success.

This approach also leads to measuring success on simple metrics: money, position and power. It does not support an individual to recognise their own personal strengths and to build a successful life upon those elements, unless of course they can be converted into money, position and power.

Developing a clear picture of what success means to you and being centred in that view is critical to developing a life of enduring success. I said it above but let me say it again. Ultimately I believe there is only one true measure of success, and the source of that success can be and is infinitely diverse. Why infinitely diverse? Because it is up to you, and you alone, to discover what it is you wish to achieve in your life, to set your priorities and to then journey forward in their achievement (page 67 has some examples).

How do you know if you are successful? By being able to say that you are truly happy with your lot in life.

Success must ultimately come down to one single measure: your degree of happiness. And a life of enduring success is a life of enduring happiness.

The Journey

I believe success should be viewed as a journey and not a destination. If it is a single destination, then what happens when you achieve it? For example, if success is to be a millionaire – a dream for many people – and you are now a millionaire, what do you do next? Where does success come from for the rest of your life? If the answer is to make another million and then another million, you are on a journey.

Success is never about the destination. Success is all about the journey. Therefore, enjoy every moment of the journey and each key milestone as you reach and pass them.

I believe that within every person there is a natural potential for great success that is unique to them. Who is to say that what you find joy in, where your natural areas of success lie, is not as ‘worthwhile’ as something our wealth-driven society cherishes?

Great success for you lies in identifying that uniqueness and exploring the journey of stretching and leveraging your unique gifts for all you can. Success lies in individual choices, consciously and unconsciously, that determine the path of the journey we are on. Please note the emphasis on stretching and leveraging. A life of enduring success

requires hard work and will not just be handed to you on a plate. Once you know where you want to go you must take it to the limit and beyond and not just think it will come with ease.

Often the greatest challenge we face in being successful is overcoming the barriers placed before us. The real challenge however is that these barriers are often not external. They

are instead internal barriers that prevent us from moving forward – beliefs, paradigms, frames of reference (see page 12 for some examples of these barriers). Overcoming these barriers requires our growth and development as a person and will be a constant focus of your journey. The stronger you become as an individual, the weaker these barriers become.

We must always remember that our journey is and will be unique. And while we can look to others for examples and guidance, they are not you and therefore what works for them may, or may not, work for you. Your dreams, your imagination, your willingness to play

and explore what is possible will form a fertile soil in which your passions can grow. Give yourself permission to explore for yourself where your passions lie and through this you will discover your path to success.

Finally, remember that your journey never ends. No matter where you may be on your journey, there is always another step, another leg and even, perhaps, a new journey. The mantra ‘better every day’ in everything that you do has no end. 

Life Without Success

How do you describe a life without success? It is a life not fulfilled and probably an empty one. It can become a life that is broken and without hope or prospect of happiness. It is a life that doesn’t have to be lived the way it is currently lived. Everyone has ‘possibly lives’ that could contribute enormously to their families, friends and communities, and of course to the person themselves. There is a joy to be found in success and I can see no reason why everyone should not be entitled to find that joy.

Success is, can be and should be internally generated. It is your individual choice to live a life with or without success and one that can be changed. The change can be seeded with one small step, taken time and time again, until it takes root and sprouts a thousand shoots, each giving life to success.

That one first step can be adopting an attitude of gratitude each and every morning when you wake, and each and every moment thereafter. The attitude of gratitude breaks the binds of a life without success.