What Does Success Mean To You?

Before we can be successful, we have to determine what success means to us. Most of us have a vague idea but if we haven't got a clear concept, how can we work towards it?

In order to be successful in anything, we need to have a clear picture of what we want, determine what we have to do to get it, and make the decision to focus and work with diligence and perseverance towards that goal.

In business, success can be considered to be the positive impact we have on our targeted market. Or it can be based on how much money we make, how high up the corporate ladder we can climb, or what our standing is in the community. Some of us may consider our success in terms of how new our house or car is, how fancy and expensive our furniture is or what we can provide for our children in the way of material possessions. Others may view their success in terms of their positive impact on what they do for their co-workers, friends, neighborhood and family.

There are other ways of looking at success too. How successful have we been in parenting our children – are they growing up to be happy, well-adjusted and productive members of an adult society? Or we can look further at people such as Martin Luther King, a civil rights leaders who helped raise the awareness of racial inequalities; Abraham Lincoln who dedicated his life in attempting to abolish slavery; Florence Nightingale who spent her life serving others as a nurse, often in extremely adverse conditions; Albert Einstein, considered a humanitarian, he spoke out against nuclear weapons. He was also considered to be an undisputed genius. And last but not least, Mother Theresa, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who dedicated her life to serving the poor and destitute. Although most of them did not die rich, they can definitely be considered successes in their lives.

Why? Because they set out to do what they planned to do; they achieved their goals, fulfilled their potential and put one hundred percent into everything they did. And they left the world a better place.

Success can be achieved by any one of us. We can help those who need help, we can work toward raising children that will improve the world, and we can put others before ourselves whether in our careers or our personal lives. However, success may mean something completely different to you but whatever it means, it cannot be achieved without putting one hundred percent of your effort into it.

The following quote says it all:
'Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it.' Author Unknown