08 May Happiness and Success in Life
Please find below another interesting article from Lou Tice. Although not directly about happiness, there’s no doubt that the points he makes are just as relevant to happiness as they are to success…
Winner’s Circle Network with Lou Tice – 5/7/09 – ‘success in Life”
Most people want to be successful, but not everyone can tell you what success looks like. Today, let’s look at the meaning of success.
What does it mean to be successful? Do you consider yourself a success? If so, why? If not, what will success look like when you have finally achieved it?
These are important questions because your happiness in life will probably depend on knowing the answers. Now, some people think that success means a wardrobe full of designer clothes, a fancy car and a 50-foot sailboat.
Others think that success is not having to work at all after they win a few million in the lottery. Still others believe that success, for them, would be helping to find a cure for AIDS or devoting their lives to serving others.
I believe that all of these folks are right. As far as I’m concerned, success means getting to do what you really want to do, doing it well, and feeling good about the fact that you are doing it. By this I mean that it is perfectly OK to choose a purpose for yourself that doesn’t mean a thing to the rest of the world. The important thing is that you have a purpose.
Would I want for you to have a higher purpose, a higher commitment to solving community challenges? Of course. But ultimately, the choice of what makes you fulfilled is yours to make.
Failure is performing poorly or haphazardly at those things you have chosen as being important to you. In the final analysis, I think you are a success when you are actively engaged in becoming the person you most want to be and doing the things you most want to do.
Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com