by Craig Lock
"I'd rather attempt something great and fail...
than try something ordinary and succeed."
- inspiring words from Norman Vincent Peale
(US preacher and author)
What is success? I am not going to try to define success. I think
a precise definition is impossible. Is it winning a Gold Medal at
the Olympic Games or winning Wimbledon, or being awarded a Nobel
prize? What else? I believe personal success could be anything at
all--it does not have to involve public recognition. Who is more
successful? A millionaire who is unhappy, or an unnoticed person
who has led a simple, happy life? The simplest definition of
success I think is 'to set out to do something and to succeed in
doing it'. It really doesn't matter what, or how humble the
undertaking is...
Believe you can succeed and you will. Achieving success in
whatever endeavor you choose may be the goal of life, because it
gives you freedom from worry. Could that be?
Success means different things to every one of us. Some people
believe it is measured in financial terms, i.e. having wealth;
others believe it is helping others rather than helping
themselves. A bit of both perhaps?! Or it could be simply
achieving for achievement's sake? Success is such a personal
thing. To many people, it is the very root of their being--the
reason for existing is to achieve something worthwhile in our
lives. To the vast majority of the population it doesn't matter
much whether they want to be successful or not; that's OK by me,
as long as that is what you really want and you are happy with
life.
However, most people want and are motivated to a great extent by
public recognition and a relentless pursuit of achievement. How
many people too are really happy? How many people are really
doing what they want to with their lives? (Incidentally, the
ability to imagine, makes us different from animals).
No matter what motivates you personally...whatever you choose to
do with your life, don't expect instant success. The years of struggle,
commitment and learning in excelling at whatever
endeavor or trade you choose, is no easy task. I would
wholeheartedly agree with that statement. It takes a lot of
courage, character and discipline to achieve success in any field.
Nearly all successful people have doubted themselves at
some point and wanted to give up. Yet they carried on. So many
people give up within an inch or two away from the gold in the
seam down the mine--a "whisker" away from success. One thing is
for sure: success breeds SUCCESS, as it gathers a momentum of
its own and you get on a "winning streak", when everything seems
to fit into place.
I like all of the following quotations. They all stand for what
success means to me personally. So I'll share them with you...
"Success is the continuous journey towards the achievement of
predetermined worthwhile goals."
- Tom Hopkins, American motivator
"To live your life in your own way To reach the goals you've set
for yourself To be the person you want to be - That is success."
- author anon.
"There is one only one success: to be able to spend your life in
your own way"
- Christopher Morley
Great words of wisdom there!
Most of all, I believe success is a matter of personal growth. If
every day you are developing or growing just a millimeter (or
acquiring a "teeny weeny" bit of knowledge for improving yourself
that you didn't have before), I believe one is successful. So
dwarfs can be very successful people too (OOPS - sorry, but I'm
"totally un-PC").
Just being a slightly better person each day for me is success.
I've got a very long way to go then!
"Success to others may be apparent in what you DO; but
significance, meaning and purpose lies, then reveals itself
in what you ARE and BECOME down the 'river of life' - how
and the spirit with which you face, then overcome the daily
obstacles, the frequent trials and tribulations along the
often rocky path-way of life's magical and mysterious
journey.
Light YOUR path brightly."
Craig Lock
"Do not follow the well-beaten track of others towards success - like the
rainbow, it is often an illusion always just beyond our reach. Make your own
path and let your spirit blaze a brilliant trail towards the pot of gold,
the prize for the gift - one that is uniquely you and YOUR successful
journey down the river of life.
- Craig Lock
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Want to unlock your potential?
Want to move forward to success?
Well neither of these will happen in a
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belief.
