For a long time I viewed success almost as something bad. What I mean by that is creating this idea that in order to be successful you have to be ruthless, pave your way no matter what, bring other people down so you can rise to the top, have no manners or even a moral compass, doing whatever it takes to reach that success… You get the idea. I also had this belief that most people who are successful somehow (ab)use their power, money and success so they can get even more power, money and success.
That was pretty much my view on success and successful people. But this was mostly for people that are on higher positions, those who really have the power and are out of reach for ‘regular’ people. Then I started wondering what success means to me and who do I consider successful in my own circle of family, friends and acquaintances. Leaving politicians, celebrities and other famous people out of the frame, I started to look for a definition of success by my own terms.
Only recently I finally figured out what success means to me and what I can do to consider myself successful. For me success means living life being fully authentic and true to yourself. Having the courage to follow your dreams and take action upon them. Utilize your strengths and talents. Always be open to learn and grow as an individual. Stand up for yourself and those in need. Give back to the community. Share success with others. Nurture the most valuable connections and people in your life as all the success means nothing if at the end of the day you are lonely. Always have those “conversations” with yourself so you can check in and re-evaluate your goals, priorities and see if you are on the path you want to take. Find a job/career that fulfills you and doesn’t feel like a job; if that’s not possible at the moment, practice hobbies that bring you joy and make you feel great. For me success is also being healthy and taking care of yourself, physically, emotionally and mentally. It really is important that we don’t lose ourselves chasing those dreams, doing things we need to do, showing up for other people… Success is also realizing your flaws and weaknesses, find ways you can deal with them the best way possible and just accept that you are human and not perfect but you are doing your best. Success is walking away from something/someone not worth your time and energy, having the courage to make mistakes and learn from them, be imperfect and gracefully face the challenges life throws at you.
Thank you so much for reading, have a nice day!
