Our personal turmoil begins when we make comparisons with another individual and now sense that we have not lived up to some “expectation” and have fallen short of some sort of “success”.
But how many of us have stopped to ask the fundamental question of: “What defines success to us as an independent being?”
But what I have come to discover through lots of mistakes and failure is: Life is far more complicated than a few metrics that society deems as successful.
When I used to work in the Banking industry, two CEOs died in their office from a heart attack. Sure, they made it to the top of the food chain and tragically died in the place they so called found “success”. What is all that climbing and aspiring is for, at the end of the day, your job ends up taking your life (in this case) literally.
So it got me thinking about timelines and how I viewed success?
Is it all career based? If not, what is it?
This really shifted my perspective on how I viewed life, career and personal well being. Yes, life is short, but it isn’t a race to the top. If I did make it to the top and screwed everyone along the way, what would I have actually achieved? A LOT of enemies?
But I have been fortunate enough to see how different people do life. From the extremely ambitious, to the considered souls who understand empathy, know they need allies if they are to survive this treacherous world.
I have concluded: No one is ever great on their own footing. Each person that enters or exits our lives, has something to show or teach us. Because they have their own set of life experiences and world views. Take those nuggets of wisdom from the situation/circumstances and leave the rest behind.
To be truly successful in life is to –
That is something you have to answer for yourself? Only you know the answer to this question?
All I know from this life is:
Know that we are all fallible human beings, and to work on the gifts and talents that the God of this earth has given us, to fulfill our own destiny. It is lurking inside each of our hearts.
That –
Losing our way and making mistakes is all part of being alive. Sometimes, it is through those unexpected turns, we find what we have been searching for. You have to take a risk to find such things. Nothing great ever happens in times of comfort.
My parting note: everyone on this earth has a special gift to share with the world. Make your existence count and lastly, make yourself proud. That gift and discovery may have to come later, because you had to learn other lessons first.
And victory isn’t always about the tangible (material) stuff. They are nice to have, but it is the small stuff that seems outwardly insignificant that will make you shine. Think: inner peace, your health and well being. Whilst you can’t boast about them to your friends and strangers, they are the things that anchors us when the storm of life comes our way. Especially inner peace. No amount of money can buy that.
A ruminating Heart 