The standard answer is freedom to do what you want with your time. The other standard answer is money, or fulfillment in your work, some would even say family. That’s only to list a few. So, with so many versions of success, it can be easy to get wrapped up chasing one that isn’t your own. So many factors can cause this. Social media, family, society, again, that’s only to list a few, but it brings up a good question. How would you know what success means to you? How would you know what it is that you need to be happy? Is it family? Money? Satisfaction, maybe?
Gosh, this is a difficult question, because it circles back to, who are you? and then, what do you want from this life?
**
Two days ago, I found success I hadn’t entirely been expecting. Infact, I hadn’t been expecting it at all because I had been doing just as good before my efforts were noticed. And now here I am, being congratulated by almost everyone I know. I’m happy my hard work paid off, but only so much. It’s not elation, or “Yes, I’ve conquered the world. Accomplished the one thing!” It’s more of relief, and pride in my work, and just “yes, this feels right.” I would still go back and take the journey all over again to this point of my success, because to be honest, I got so wrapped up enjoying the journey, I didn’t realize I had reached the destination. And maybe that is how it should be.
**
Success doesn’t have to be reaching an impossibly difficult goal. It doesn’t have to be strength and grit, and doing something even though you hate it and then finally achieving your goal. It doesn’t have to be working against the tide over and over. Imagine pushing a raft into water.
It’s difficult initially, because starting to do anything, even the thing you love to do, isn’t easy. But once that boat is on water, it gets easier. You get in the zone. The waters become yours. The boat becomes a vessel. It’s a beautiful experience, to be immersed in work, and I crave it everyday, even as one may face storms or a gentle day (because not every day is the same when you go to work). In other words, roll the ball, gain momentum. So even as I have achieved success in one part of my life, I would not want to stop doing the work I put in to get there, ever. Not because there isn’t anything else I can do, but because THIS is what I want to do.
**
So, circling back to the question, what is success to you? I would answer, that it is just another part of the journey. One that makes it all the more special, and fulfilling, because of course you need success. I say I felt relief, but truthfully, everyone loves success. Who wouldn’t? The glory, the feeling that you’ve made it, all of it is real; because when you achieve your goal, you have indeed made it.
You’ve struggled, even when you were locked in and loving your work, and even when you came back despite not wanting to get out of bed in the morning because you knew that once you were in the zone, it would feel right, and once you finished your task, it would feel ten times better than if you had skipped it. So yeah, I love success because I know I worked damn hand for it, even if it was on something I love. And it tastes a LOT better than no result, or failure.
**
I wouldn’t tell you to not have goals because the journey is enough (because it isn’t), but I would tell you that choose a journey that is fun even if success isn’t guaranteed. Truth be told, success isn’t guaranteed everywhere. We live in a world where a lot more can go wrong, than can go right; so even as you work towards the unparalleled feeling of glory and success, make sure you enjoy that work else, one day, even when you’ve accomplished your goal, you won’t have a purpose left for after.
The passion of glory fades. And what you are left with is character, and self reflection. Don’t be the person that hates themself enough to do something they hate every day for a short lived but very strong good feeling. Be the person that loves themself enough to do what they enjoy every day, even on the days when they don’t feel like it.
People chase success to feel alive. Why don’t you try feeling alive while chasing success- after all, the two should go hand in hand!
Because who are we to ourselves, if not a result and feeling caused by our actions every day?
~
Here’s a poem on handling change in one’s life: https://saragawde.com/change-is-growth/