Willingness to change
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at 10:26AM People will approach you and ask whether you are successful. You may ask yourself what this really means. Are you being judged based on someone else's view of success or, will you define what it means and evolve into this image yourself? If the latter is true, what does the image look like?
I wait for you to tell me your views on success. Consider the words you choose, the thoughts that go through your mind, the actions you take and feel willing to take to evolve. What will you decide? You determine how you will turn out and whether you aim to feel more successful. As you imagine what success would be like, evoke all your senses. Make it real. Be brave. Explain what forms success will take.
No self-help book or other inspirational tool can predict your future unless you happen to be the author, and you choose to learn from your experiences. No person you meet exists to predict your future, or the outcomes of your current conditions. If you were asking me to foresee how your life will evolve, I wouldn't be so bold as to suggest concrete paths or experiences. Yet, I would invite you to go inside yourself. Probe your thoughts and feelings. What do you tell yourself? Did you ever realize that every choice you make is a clue to predicting your own future?
It's up to you to learn to listen and be honest with yourself. As your intution and conscience speak to you, it makes sense to digest and apply what you hear. If your inner voice encourages you to follow a certain line of study or work, regardless of what people around you advise, you need to pursue what feels right. If you feel drawn to write to certain companies or politicians to express a grievance or another view, then taking action would be part of your vision of fulfillment.
You define and refine your views of success. Are you willing to adapt to whatever life throws you? As you send out positive energy, this will bounce back in your direction in various forms. If you send out negative vibes, you may feel parallel consequences. Why not expect the best? Learn to plan and recognize it. Will you choose to connect with your potential, your abilities, how you empower and teach others, and also learn yourself? Imagine anything is possible. Create a new reality.
You are exactly where you are supposed to be. You are experiencing exactly what you need to. Continue to learn useful things about yourself and the world. Life and success will be what you determine. Reflecting on this will enable you to get your mind wrapped around your attitude.
Reader Comments (4)
I have been working very hard on my definition of success for the past year. My definition is coming along, however I can see it will be an ever evolving process. To name a few of my measures of success:
First and foremost, to me success is a life lived congruently. This means that what one thinks, says and does match. Second, success means loving oneself. And third, success for myself (and I know not to all) is having people in my life who I cherish and who cherish me the same.
As we achieve milestones, we naturally seek new sources of motivation. Taking steps to sharpen intution and listen more to yourself helps you decide what's important at a given time. The state of your mind and relationships reveal a lot about yourself. Discomfort itself has its value if it prompts you to reflect and react.
Of course I also have to consider how my success would affect my family (when I have one). So I would aim to be financially secure as well as happy. Though ultimately, if my family and I could survive and be happy, that would be success regardless of what situation we were in.
That said, how I go about achieving that happiness would likely include living comfortably. A steady, high income does fit into my plans. Freedom from material concerns not because of any inherent change in attitude, but because my resources will dispel those concerns (including the concerns of the environmental impact of my way of life, meaning that I could afford to consume resources in an environmentally sustainable way).
I know that it's a fairly idealistic outlook, but it's one I'd like to see become reality.
If you desire to evolve or grow in any direction, its useful to imagine some plan that motivates you. At the same time, its worthwhile to recognize that each of us is work in progress. What you believe appears "idealistic" and achieveable now may not seem desireable at another time. So long as you're willing to learn about yourself, and expand on what you think you know, your view of success can change with you. You are your own source of happiness.