Friday, February 20, 2004

How Do You Define Success?

Worldly Success appears to be how much money you have, how much you accomplish, how you are loved, how young you look or how much you are admired. These forms of success are temporary and illusive. They change with the cultural climate. These successes have highs and lows, the glory of victory and agony of defeat. They depend on the spiritual, mental, emotional, physical and fiscal health of those with whom you live and relate. We learn to be dependent on the feedback of others and our world. Much energy is expended in trying to get this worldly success. And once achieved how much energy do you expend defending, protecting and doing more to keep what you have achieved?

To define life success in this way, one would be constantly striving and working to be successful. One would be constantly fearful of losing one’s state of achievement. Life would be serious, dangerous and difficult and very complex. One would be vigilant for when and how it all would end.

When I have entered into these shark-infested waters, I notice how my emotions fluctuate depending on the current state of my world. Peace is non-existent as one’s mind must be constantly vigilant for the next change, plotting and planning on how to hold on to success and avoid failure. I recognize how what we like and dislike, fantasize and wish for, compare and envy other’s success defines our self worth and measure of personal success. How we see our goals and our self- definition of personal success set us up for disappointment and disillusionment.

Success may be defined in anyway you choose.
Why not use your spiritual principles and guidelines to define your success?
Why not choose goals which are fun, safe and easy to live by because they are natural?
Why not experience success everyday in every relationship because you dare to care?
Why not honor your creator’s love for you by fully embracing all of your life experiences?
Why not trust that every moment you are a success?
Why not recognize that you cannot fail, except in your own negative judgment and comparison?
Why not let go of seeing yourself through worldly eyes and see yourself with the eyes of Love?
Why not own your beauty, your goodness, your loving intention with full appreciation?
Why not see God in all that you are and do and give and create?
Why not know that you have always been successful and have achieved exactly what you believed?
Why not?

You are a success without trying.
Betty Lue