Success
What is success? According to Webster’s
Dictionary the definition is a “favorable or desired outcome; also, the
attainment of wealth, favor or eminence.” This definition is heavily weighted
toward it being based on material achievement related to business, career, or
financial gain.
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For many people though, success on these terms is difficult if not impossible to achieve. They spend their lives in an uphill battle, forced to define themselves as inferior or even a failure because their personal story does not reflect the common definition of success.
Our modern world is filled with references, both overt and subtle, to the importance of being successful. We are encouraged to dress for it, be an academic success, present a successful picture to the rest of the world, and discover the most important key to it before we graduate from college. Talk about pressure!
How to Succeed in Life
You have most likely felt this at some point in your life. In fact, some of the expectations listed in the previous paragraph may sound like a direct quote from your parents. How have the expectations and the pressure affected your life? How do you feel about your achievements, your self-worth, and your overall success? If your answers are negative, you are not alone. Most people, when faced with success standards established by someone else, will react negatively and begin to doubt their own self-worth.
What would happen if you defined success differently? How would a different definition, one that was aligned with how you know yourself to be when you are feeling connected and ready for anything, factor into your feelings about yourself? This is what I referred to as your "authentic self. Creating a definition of success that aligns with this experience of yourself is one of the most important things you can do as you continue down the path of self-improvement.
Think about how different your feelings of self-esteem would be if you had a life coach who consistently reminded you that you are successful just by being authentic. This type of coaching is easy to find if you just look within yourself. When you were in school you probably learned to listen and follow directions given by others, but when it comes to living your life a much better strategy is to consider input from others, then listen and follow directions given by your authentic self. In other words, you are your own best resource for life coaching when you are true to your inner self and create your own personal definition of success.
The Road to Success
It is easy to feel frustrated and inferior when you compare your self to an externally defined standard of success, but you don’t have to stay in that negative place. Know what success means to you, and hold yourself to that standard instead. For example, you may define success as living in harmony with your environment, or instilling certain values in your children. When you live your life focused on being in alignment with those values that you define as being successful, you become immune to judgments from the external world and thrive on each step you take along your personal road to success.
The next time you feel like you don’t measure up, or you think of yourself as a failure, stop for a moment and consider the standards of success by which you are judging yourself. If they come from the external world then you are putting your attention where it doesn't serve you. Make a different choice, a choice that empowers you to set success standards that are aligned with who you really are, and you will soon find amazing things happening in your life.
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| Continue reading the next self help article on successful people | |
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