Crossroads of Success
Contemporary life in every aspect is full with advice on how anyone could succeed in everything through following a few simple steps. “Nine ways to accomplish this...”, “Four ways to become this….”, Shortcut to Happiness”, and the list can go on and on.
First thing that comes to anyone’s mind, is that if it is so easy and simple by following those few rules/steps/measures/proposals, why life doesn’t change for all of them that wish to change things in their life, given someone does what’s proposed? If anyone would go through social media/internet, will find a huge and wide range of gurus, specialists, professionals who advise how to succeed accomplish anything, but no one says how many of those that followed their advice, went one step closer to their dream. Why is it so difficult?
Several studies, reports have been gone all those years to reveal “THE SECRET” of success. A recent one done at a University in Italy, after studying numerous of successful individuals concludes, that among others prevailing factors, it is only Luck. True? Who can tell? Why luck is not working for everyone? Truth is, that luck justifies the existence of two ends in a rope: the lucky and the rest (un-lucky ones). However, luck was-is- and will be, one of the ingredients of success. There are though other quite important ones such as: Goals, Strategy, Life learning, Timing and those mentioned in a post at social media Patience, Persistence, Perseverance.
Looking at each one of them, different aspects could be noticed:
-Luck: does it come as a gift? Undoubtedly, apples fall because of gravity, not by luck. Mathematics? If so, everyone would try to find the formula. Or is it undefined?
-Goals: are there set targets? Everyone for anything, planned, wished, expected, should have clearly defined and justified and how to be accomplished, steps.
-Strategy: going to nowhere, leads at it is implied nowhere. Therefore, someone needs to plan the how, when, where, with whom.
-Life learning: if once educated at institutions gives someone basic information, it remains so. Basic. If needed to advance/improve/excel life learning should be for entire life and in any field. Or as Socrates had said “…I know, that I know nothing”.
-Timing: is it this the perfect time? Time cannot be defined by one’s needs, but by completion of it.
-Patience/Grit: usually not inherited, but taught as a virtue. Not easy, rather time consuming against one’s will. In the end he who bears it can see the result!
-Persistence: another virtue taught or exercised is to withstand time and mistakes. Easy to describe, difficult to make it part of one’s character. Master it and distinguish.
-Perseverance: among the other two above, could be the hardest, since it overcomes patience, by adding a strong will and attitude without expected personal return.
The 3P’s unfortunately, are not taught at any higher education institution or post-graduate class, but rather are cultural, ethical, societal virtues to be life-long exercised and become part of someone’s character.
If success could be considered as a vertical axis and any or all of the above ingredients the horizontal axis, the more someone possess the higher the success.