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I am not going to try to define success. I think a
precise definition is impossible. Is it winning a Gold Medal at the
Olympic Games or winning Wimbledon, or being awarded a Nobel prize? What
else? I believe personal success could be anything at all - it does not
have to involve public recognition. Who is more successful? A
millionaire who is unhappy, or an unnoticed person who has led a simple,
happy life? The simplest definition of success I think is 'to set out to
do something and to succeed in doing it'. It really doesn't matter what,
or how humble the undertaking is...
Believe
you can succeed and you will.
Achieving success in whatever endeavour you choose may be the goal of
life. Because it gives you freedom from worry. Could that be?
Success
means different things to every one of us.
Some people believe it is measured in financial terms, ie.. having
wealth; others believe it is helping others rather than helping
themselves. A bit of both perhaps! Or it could be simply achieving for
achievement's sake. Success is such a personal thing. To many people it
is the very root of their being - the reason for existing is to achieve
something worthwhile in our lives. To the vast majority of the
population it doesn't matter much whether they want to be successful or
not; that's OK by me, as long as that is what you really want and you
are happy with life. However, most people want and are motivated to a
great extent by public recognition and a relentless pursuit of
achievement. How many people too are really happy? How many people are
really doing what they want to with their lives? ( Incidentally, the
ability to imagine, makes us different from animals).
No matter what motivates you personally...whatever you
choose to do with your life, don't expect instant success. The years
of struggle, commitment and learning in excelling at whatever endeavour
or trade you choose, is no easy task. I would wholeheartedly agree with
that statement. It takes a lot of courage, character and discipline to
achieve success in any field. Nearly all successful people have doubted
themselves at some point and wanted to give up. Yet they carried on. So
many people give up within an inch or two away from the gold in the seam
down the mine - a “whisker” away from success. One thing is for sure:
success breeds SUCCESS, as it gathers a momentum of its own and you
get on a “winning streak”, when everything seems to fit into place.. * *
*
I like all of the following quotations. They all stand
for what success means to me personally. So I'll share them with you...
"Success
is the continuous journey towards the achievement of predetermined
worthwhile goals." - Tom Hopkins, American motivator
"To live
your life in your own way To reach the goals you've set for yourself To
be the person you want to be - that is success." - author anon.
and
another one on a similar theme... "There is one only one success: to be
able to spend your life in your own way" - Christopher Morley
Most of all, I believe success is a matter of personal
growth. If every day you are developing or growing just a millimetre (or
acquiring a "teeny weeny" bit of knowledge for improving yourself that
you didn't have before), I believe one is successful. So dwarfs can be
very successful people too.
Just
being a slightly better person each day for me is success.
I've got a very long way to go then!
HOW TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS
I believe the first step towards achieving success is to
define what it represents to you. A key factor is understanding yourself
and what "makes you tick". What is your DEFINITE PURPOSE in life? If you
know where you want to head, it'll be far easier to set in place a plan
to get you there. What motivates you?. I think the most important step
on the road to SUCCESS is first ACKNOWLEDGING yourself for what you are:
your faults, strengths, "warts and all". Your HOPES and DREAMS for your
life are vitally important.
The key
ingredients in the formula to success,
I believe, are as follows:
1. A
PLAN
2. FOCUS
3. DETERMINATION and most importantly,
4. A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Some
others which you can throw into the recipe are:
* DRIVE
* ENERGY
* ENTHUSIASM
and a SINGLED-MINDED PURSUIT of your objective.
So what
else helps?
A strong
belief in yourself and what you are doing (or trying to achieve)
Your ultimate goals and dreams should conform to your
values. So if you're an honest sort of bloke (nice Kiwi/Aussie word for
a solid down-to-earth type of person), who wants to make a lot of money,
don't think of robbing a bank. The riches won't bring you
happiness...and you're not likely to be too successful as a bank-robber
if you are a regular church-goer!
NB: Whatever you are, I believe the key ingredient to
achieving success is PERSISTENCE.
The following words mean a lot to me personally ...
"Just
because you failed doesn't mean you are a failure."
"I'm not
a failure if I don't make it...I'm a success because I tried " - anon
YOU TOO
ARE NOT A FAILURE IF YOU DON'T MAKE IT
YOU'RE A
SUCCESS BECAUSE YOU TRY.
All of the above character traits give us our strength in
the face of adversity. EMPOWERMENT: this is the ability to take control
over your life and learn from your experiences. We can all learn so much
from the roller coaster that is life each and every day. Or is it swings
and roundabouts?
What can you do about your life...other than breathe and
stay alive?
Don't
just stand there - do something.
"JUST
HAVE A GO" at life.
ACTION
AND A COMMITMENT IN SEEING IT THROUGH IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS (IN
WORK AND IN LIFE). |
