Success is one of the Life Perspectives stressed on this website.
If you understand and appreciate the true meaning of success, you’ll realize that the other perspectives all lead to this one.
WHAT IS SUCCESS – What exactly is success? You may think that it varies with the person, the situation, or the activity. Likewise you may draw the conclusion that success is demonstrated in different ways in different generations, cultures or societies. Although these statements have some truth, true success is the same for everyone, at all times, and in all places.
In simple terms, success begins by starting something or trying to accomplish something. This could be pursuing an endeavor, participating in an activity, or developing a relationship. Then you put forth effort to achieve what you set out to do. In the process you must learn new things, develop skills, obey laws and principles, accept counsel, and avoid unnecessary mistakes. There are usually some challenges you must accept, problems to solve, and obstacles in you way. But with perseverance you sustain your efforts until completion or until you’re satisfied with the results. In this way you ultimately achieve sufficient success to satisfy yourself.
How do you know when success is achieved? You have met the requirements, or passed the test. You have improved or perhaps excelled. You beat the competition. You did your best. The exact parameters for determining success will vary with the individual, his potential, and the goal.
WAYS TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS – Every one can have success in various ways. If you develop a skill or further refine a skill, this is a success story. Getting a good education or developing job skills are also forms of success. Holding a marriage together over the years of adulthood is a big success story. Likewise, learning to be a good parent for your children is an important success story. Overcoming handicaps and obstacles placed in your way as you walk down the road of life are all success stories. Controlling your temper or giving up harmful drugs or losing weight are also types of success. Getting a promotion at work, or starting a business and making it profitable are both forms of success. Running for public office and winning the election is success. It’s important to recognize all the ways you achieve success. This builds confidence and helps you to have more success in the future.
Be aware that different ways to achieve success reinforce other ways to achieve it. The reason is because there are common elements in all ways. These include patience, learning, people skills, and self-control. Common sense must be applied. Good judgment must be exercised. Some risks are taken, but not without considerable thought in advance. There is planning and obtaining necessary resources for the goal being sought. In essence, you become a smarter and better person through each experience, and thus more capable of handling a greater variety of situations, circumstances, and challenges. You can carry a heaver load or deal with more complexity, greater problems, a larger variety of people, and longer term objectives.
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SUCCESS – One secret of success is to recognize that it comes in stages. You achieve success one step at a time. As you learn, grow, develop and accomplish, more is achieved. The goal becomes closer. Your enthusiasm grows . Ultimately your capabilities do too.
Another thing to keep in mind is that success usually doesn’t come to the person who waits for it. You must actively pursue it. You must seek opportunities and be prepared to take advantage of them. Be in a position to take some reasonable risks. Work consistent as well as hard to achieve what you desire.
In striving for success it’s important to remember that you aren’t just trying to beat out the other person, win the race, get the promotion, or make the most money. You’re also racing against yourself. You must learn to pace your efforts so you can last until success has been achieved in each thing you get involved in over a period of time. The biggest success story is self-mastery, which is related to being a good inner boss, as discussed in one of the other perspectives.
Success is usually not achieved by an individual without some type of help or assistance from others. Be willing to learn from others. Seek their guidance and counsel to avoid mistakes they made. Let them train you in their areas of expertise. While pursuing your efforts, be willing to let others help you and recognize their contributions and support in whatever form it comes. In this way they’ll continue to be on your side or a part of your team for not only the current endeavor, but other ones in the future.
Success can come from achieving what you want in just about anything. However, not everything is worth seeking or doing or obtaining. The best success comes from being engaged in worthwhile activities, pursuits, endeavors, and relationships. It comes from effort put into good causes. Do not forget this important qualification.In this way there will be no regrets as you look back in time on your success stores.
True success offers benefits not only to you, but to those you influence in some way by your efforts. In other words, true success is not selfish in nature nor scope. A successful person touches his own life, and has a positive impact on others too. His good works affect everyone in his environment who is open to his influence. Consider the ways you have a positive impact on people in your environment.
Success is not equally recognized between people. Why do others get credit or recognition and not you? There are many reasons for this. One is that the true value of things is not always recognized. Another is that if you do something that many others do or it seems commonplace, your achievement is underrated and not labeled as a success story. For example, if you raise your children well, you won’t be considered successful by many adults nor get your picture in the newspaper. But if you get a key promotion in a large company or win an election, you’re sure to get attention and more likely to be judged as successful. However, years later the parent could have good adult children and grand kids, which is truly a long-term success story. Meanwhile, no one will remember who won that election fifteen years ago, nor who got the promotion at company ABE. The employee was laid off five years later due to internal restructuring to cut costs, and due to a shrinking market the company went out of business three years later. Finally, remember that the success label is used very loosely in society. It can be given to individuals who are not the best people in many ways, nor have they done something that will benefit others in the long run. Often attention and fame can go to people of wealth, political influence, entertainers, and others whose decisions and behavior often fit within the description of dumb people doing dumb things.
SUCCESS AND TIME – Often we do things which seem so important at the time and may give us momentary glory as we walked down the road of life. But looking back with retrospective judgment, we recognize that what we thought we achieved was not really that important. In fact we may have achieved some less important things at the expense of missing out on the more important things of life. This is not success, but a form of failure. Use wisdom in deciding what you get involved in and to what extent. You don’t want to look back and see a lot of effort put into things which weren’t that important in the long run.
Success can be elusive. You think you have it and then it goes away. Perhaps your fortunes have changed or circumstances came up beyond your control. You wonder how could this be, especially in my life. This is not fair, nor is it right. Yet it is true and real in your case. You must learn to deal with frustration, disappointment, problems and failure if you’re going to achieve success in life. If you can do this, then you’ll find that the types of success you have will stay with you over a longer period of time. For example, learning to get along with different types of people is a true success story that will last throughout your life. Likewise, seek to learn and apply in your life things that are true and good . This pattern will serve you well throughout life. Cultivating a good marital relationship that lasts a lifetime is a success story. But being involved with multiple partners represents failure in many ways.
As you look at your life, do not merely count your disappointments and problems and failures. Look at the things you learn from these experiences. What personal strengths were gained? What wisdom did you take from the experience? If these things have made you a stronger person, then you are becoming a more successful person in a real and permanent way. This is true success, which does not leave you with time. It stays with you throughout your life. Being the boss at your company, which is consolidated with another company, and leads to your loss of a job is merely a bump along the road of life. Being the boss is a form of success, but it is not permanent success unless you took from that experience personal knowledge and skills which can help you in all aspects of your life.
OTHER PERSPECTIVES SUPPORT SUCCESS – As you strive to experience more success in your life, let the other perspectives on this website assist you. Being your own inner boss, experiencing effective living, using good stewardship in all things, strengthening your character, and nurturing spirituality in your life all support success in one way or another. When these other perspectives are utilized properly, they help you achieve more success in your activities and ultimately become a more successful person.
MORE INFORMATION – All the information on this website is provided to help you achieve success. For more ideas about doing this, read the Ideas For Living Articles on this website.
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