#37 - What does success really mean?
This year, more than most, I have been reflecting on my life and what things are important to me. I have been thinking about what success really means.
One of the dictionary definitions of successful is ‘having achieved fame, wealth or social status’. So many people get hung up on this traditional perception of success BUT if we look at those who have achieved these things, so often, they are not actually fulfilled or happy.
I don’t really get why fame is seen as a sign of success - I can’t think of anything worse than having to live under scrutiny of the public eye and nowadays you can become famous without actually achieving anything (reality show stars for example). BUT people who use their fame to do good or inspire others is another matter. Money can’t buy you happiness so the saying goes. But it can give you more options in life. I do believe that there is such a thing as too much money though if you are not using it to help others. I never understood why people need a house with more bedrooms and bathrooms than they could ever use.
I prefer the definition of successful as ‘the accomplishment of an aim or purpose’ as this recognises the fact that we all have different goals. The following people all inspire others and have achieved success in different ways:
Chuck Feeney - the billionaire who gave away his £6bn fortune while he was still alive to see the impact it had
Lewis Hamilton - who has just become the F1 world champion for the 7th time having worked hard to fulfil his childhood dream despite the odds being against it
Tom Moore - who having already had what most would consider a successful life boosted the mood of the nation during one of the hardest years of our lives by raising astonishing amount of money
Rosa Parks - the American civil rights leader who triggered the 381 day boycott in 1955 to fight racial segregation on buses
But let’s face it, success could equally be raising a healthy family in a happy home. What is not good is if we let the relentless pursuit of success risk our health or our happiness.
What does success look like for me?
When I think about what success means for me - it boils down to 2 main things:
Love
Love comes in so many forms and each of them for me is an ingredient for a successful life. Being loved and loving others - If we are lucky enough to experience love then we know we are doing something right. Loving connections with people may come and go or may be consistent throughout our life. I truly believe that the more love that you give, the more love you get. I feel sad for selfish people who don’t consider the feelings of other people to achieve success as they may not be loved by those around them as a result.
Love for our work - our jobs take up such as large part of our lives that if we can find a job that we love doing, that is such a bonus. Rather than strive after a better job title or climbing the ladder, success in our work is also about doing the best we can do and feeling that we are adding value. Getting to the top of any profession does not come without its sacrifices and that is not for everyone.
Making a difference
My main goal in life is to make a difference by doing something worthwhile. Not everyone has an opportunity to change the world but we all have an opportunity to make a positive contribution.
Ultimate success for me would be to a) establish a charitable foundation and to witness the impact of funded initiatives and b) to be able to share my knowledge and expertise with as many people as I can free of charge.
Whether I can make a difference to the people that know me, the wider community or through doing work that helps others to make more of a difference - these are all measures of success for me. I would like to think that I try to encourage others to be enthusiastic and passionate about what they do. It’s not always easy to uplift those around us when we are feeling a bit insecure ourselves but it’s important to keep trying. As I don’t have children of my own to inspire, I really want to inspire the people that I work with whether that is my team or the customers that we have the privilege to work with.
I encourage everyone to think about what success really means to you as sometimes it can actually be the things that are right in front of us that we are already doing.
"Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value." -Albert Einstein
“Success is ... knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others." -John C. Maxwell
