What Is Success?

“Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.”

— Jim Rohn

Part of your journey to knowing your why is to identify what success looks like for you. How do you define success? What first thought comes to your mind when you ponder what your life would be like in success? Many of us believe that having fame and a great deal of money is success. It may or may not be true.

Wealth can be one of the indicators of success, but it is not the sole representation of being a successful person. Take, for example, a person who inherits a huge sum of money from their father. They are wealthy, yet we can’t categorize them as successful. They may have lived through their father’s success in building up his wealth being passed on to the son, and while the son may live the life of the successful, statistics show that the third generation will squander any wealth left from the son. Only the grandfather struggled and learned the lessons of success.

A vast majority of people don’t reach success because they have the mindset which links success with finances only. They are never clear about their vision and how to serve others, which leads to true success. There are no definite criteria that can describe success as that is truly individual. It varies from person to person. Everyone has their own definition of success. One person can describe success as not having to work nights or weekends, while another person might define it as having a billion dollars in their bank account.

The key point is that we must know how to define the criteria for our success. I have learned from my experiences that success has a direct correlation to your vision. If you are clear about your goals to attain your vision, you are more likely to become successful in your life as it pertains to that vision. People who focus only on money may have set goals, but they don’t have a vision. They are willing to do anything to earn money regardless of their societal interest or personal passions. They may earn substantial money by doing things that don’t agree with their passion or values.

In this way, their success won’t stay long because there are always ups and down, volatility, and unexpected events in everyone's financial lives. These people end up getting frustrated doing what they never liked doing in the first place just to earn the money or build wealth. This is not the way to createyourself.

True success is built upon your character. The attributes of your personality define more of your success than the pursuit of money. Consider the example of Ebenezer Scrooge from the famous book, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, who went from rags to riches due to his hard work in building a business on the back of others. He gained all the notoriety that money could buy him. But this infamy turned him into a rude, selfish, and aggressive person. He disrespected the ones who were not as rich as he, especially those that worked for him. What do we call such a person today? “A scrooge.”

They may be considered successful with regard to money, live in the biggest house in town, and own many of the businesses in the area, but as human beings, they can never be an inspiration for others.

You have most likely heard of Mother Teresa. She was not a Hollywood celebrity or the CEO of a multinational company, nor was she a wealthy heiress, yet the entire world admires her for her benevolence. She was a Roman Catholic nun who devoted her life to serving the poor and deprived all around the world. She spent many years in Calcutta, India, where she inaugurated the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation dedicated to helping the needy people of India. In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and became an epitome of benevolence. She was fond of saying,

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

In 1997, Mother Teresa departed this life. The beauty of her character made her extremely successful in the eyes of the entire world. In 2016, Mother Teresa was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church as Saint Teresa.

If you ever want to speak with me directly, just reach out via?LinkedIn?or through our mobile community app,?Createyourself.com

Have a great week, Gordon

PS - Feel free to buy our Kindle version of?How to Createyourself

PPS - you are welcome to share this newsletter with others you feel may benefit!