Success? So what?
For more than 30 years I tried to be ‘successful’. I didn’t know what it meant really, but I ‘knew’ that that was what I ‘should’ be. And so I was drawn into the pursuit of so many things which, looking back with the perspective of time, I now realise didn’t matter in the slightest.
Of course, I’m not the only person who behaved like this – the idea of success and the (often desperate) need to be successful - is as everywhere now as it was with me then. And it is still with me, sadly, although I think it’s diminished a little.
Now I’m older, I can finally (maybe) try to ask myself some questions I wish I’d asked myself a long time ago. Two of the main ones are ‘What exactly is success?’ and ‘Why is success important?’.
And, again (probably) because I’m older – although not necessarily wiser – I’ve come to appreciate that if I’d thought of these questions a long time ago maybe I would have done many, many things differently. For one thing, I might have done more than I have to ‘Make the world a better place’. (I know that this sounds very banal, but does that make it wrong?)
Just as an example, I might not have spent so much time chasing after money or seniority at work or the admiration of other people. Instead, I might have thought more of my family, my friends, the people out there in the REAL world who have so much less than most of us - and what I could have done to help at least some of them.
I’m sure that – like myself - the great, great majority of you (if you’re honest) don’t take the time to think about these questions in anything but the most superficial way. If you do then I truly admire you.
Because answering them honestly to oneself- and perhaps others, at the deepest level possible – is an important victory.
Against what? Against our almost awful tendency to drift towards the ordinary, instead of becoming what we could be. And not for our own sake, but for the sake of others.
Thank you for your time Mark
GENERAL MANAGER DOCKSIDE VAULTS
7 年Thanks Mark, re-affirms the old adage...... "Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think?"
PhD in AI univ of Edinburgh, MSc in AI GWU, MIT SS exec education AI, Artificial Intelligence Expert Advisor, Book Author. CEO, Company Founder.
7 年Mark, Your honesty is refreshing. I do believe that some find their success goals in higher posts or by making more money while for others it may be the joy or giving or the opportunity to produce art without having the talent to do so. I do believe the young should take a break and sit to think and decide because we stumbled and achieved some of those targets only to discover it isn't what brings us joy.
Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics Islamic Azad University South Tehran Branch
7 年Dear Mark, besides family, friends are some of the most important people in our lives and it is necessary for friends to be honest with one another. So you're successful in life.
Experienced ICF accredited coach with pharma clients in the USA and the EU, previously a senior pharma leader.
7 年Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to comment, share or like this article - it's truly appreciated. All the best Mark
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7 年Very well stated. Success can be elusive. Or, it may come quickly for people in many fields, but not stay. How do we continue to deal with real life after that? What is our foundation?