What is your definition of success? Before you can achieve success, you need to define what success means to you. Your vision of what success is, must be crystal clear to you; without that clarity, you cannot work towards it.
It could be in your career, health, money and across a few areas. It has to be for you, not someone else's. Always be true to yourself, if not, you just end up resenting everything.
You need to dig deep within yourself and question your values in life. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are the things that are important to you? Answer it on your own terms, not by what you think others think about you. You can then come closer to your own definition of success.
Don't take too long. Like waiting for all the lights to go green before you start your car. Life always throw a curve ball, learn how to hit it. Define your success one at a time.
In every successful person, there are 3 common characteristics. Most, if not all, know what they want (you need to find out what's yours).
All successful people have these 3 traits that are common.
- Passion.
- Patience.
- Perseverance
Passion.
All are passionate in what they do, to almost a fault. They can talk about it non-stop. It is always the first thing in their minds and the last before they go to sleep. Their passion is their vision, and its not always about money. Money is just the side product of your vision, it is not the main thing.
I had a good insurance manager years back.
He asked,
"I have a blueprint that's guaranteed to make a success of your life, if you need $1,000,000 or whatever you dream about, it can provide, provided you follow the blueprint. How much are you willing to pay for it?"
Most of us were stumped, since we were new in the business. We thought of giving a dollar amount for it. That's wasn't the right answer.
The correct answer is to give everything that you own currently. Sell everything, including your house until you have only the clothes on your back.
Why? In what you do, you must have that high level of passion to succeed.
Patience.
Most of us aren't patient enough to wait for the fruits of our success, All want instant gratification. When they start something, most expect it to bring in the money the next day.
How many advertisement that you came across today, promising less work and quick returns?
It doesn't work that way. It's like nature. When you plant a seed, it does not suddenly becomes a tree. It takes time. An olive tree takes 100 years before you can benefit from its fruits. What you need to do is to have lots of ideas. Let it germinate, some will be faster, others slower.
Which comes to the third trait that successful people have in common:
Perseverance.
A common saying that most have would have heard.
Thomas Edison failed more than 1,000 times when trying to create the light bulb. When asked about it, Edison replied, "I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.
Most, if not all, successful people, stick at it. They have the vision and are willing to believe in it. They never give up on themselves, even after everyone else have left.
How many advertisement that you came across today, promising less work and quick returns?
Which comes to the third trait that successful people have in common:
Perseverance.
Thomas Edison failed more than 1,000 times when trying to create the light bulb. When asked about it, Edison replied, "I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.
Most, if not all, successful people, stick at it. They have the vision and are willing to believe in it. They never give up on themselves, even after everyone else have left.
With that I leave you with a beautiful definition of success by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
Photo credits:
- 1st Photo: "Guest Speaker, Bill Cosby" by macten under a Creative Commons License.
- 2nd Photo: "You almost feel like you could fly without the plane..." by addicted Eyes under a Creative Commons License.
- 3rd Photo: "2000 year old Olive Tree" by austineven under a Creative Commons License.
- 4th Photo: "Warhol's Light Bulbs" by zetson under a Creative Commons License.
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