Defining Your Success

“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the
rooms of our lives … not looking for flaws, but for potential.”                                                              ~Ellen Goodman, NY Times columnist~

Every day I am astounded by the herds of people – Japanese and foreigners alike – holding onto small, manageable, unchallenging dreams and life goals.

How small can a dream get before the spark of life extinguishes?  Pretty damn small.

Yes, I can’t be Warren Buffett or a Super Bowl quarterback, but I do make a difference.  What I don’t start because of fear of failure and fear of loss assures that both negative outcomes will come to pass.

I cite as an example, my own attempt to form a mastermind.  Sixty-one people expressed interest in this dynamic concept, yet fewer than five have ever done more than fill out the signup form.  Making a commitment and following through takes guts and a certain mindset.

Truth has it, that success means stepping into the wilderness of possibilities.  To believe that you or I can ride a wave to the top without ever having to shake hands in the flesh or sell ourselves to a skeptical public is absolute nonsense.

Online marketing gurus and network marketing whiz kids often do a disservice to aspiring entrepreneurs.  They give off the impression that riches can be gathered simply by following an online system that sells the cash cow product for you for just a mouse click..

No way.  To become worthy, you must step out of the comfort zone, meet people, and speak with confidence unavailable from any software application, beauty care product, or dynamic compensation plan.

Commit to excellence, even if you sense that your mind and life may be knee-deep in doggy poop.  One constant of successful people I have followed is that they rebound from adversity.  Another constant is that each of them sometime in their less successful past sat down and mapped out a strategy for success.  They left nothing to chance.  They frankly analyzed their strengths and glaring weaknesses…and adjusted course.

Every one of us wants to be seen in the best light by others.  This often leads to lies, deceptions and false pride.  When someone offers you a chance or even a bone, we often tend to pull away in shame.

“No, thank you, I’m doing just fine.”

“Yeah, my job is great.  Barb (fiction) and I just bought a second home up in the woods.”

The title of this article was Defining Your Success.  And my definition is that success is when you can be genuine with others and with yourself.  Until you can be real, all victories ring hollow.