Naturally, as people, we all have hopes and dreams, wants and desires. But very few of us ever reach a point where we turn those things into reality.
Why is that?
What do we mean when we talk about success? Depending on who you ask will determine the definition that’s in play. For some, success is
- becoming your own boss/entrepreneur
- climbing up the corporate ladder
- getting good grades in school so you can get into that job you wanted
- deciding that school is not for you but confident you’ll make it regardless
- finishing that 10K you have been training for
- beating your personal best in that 10K you’ve been training for
- being able to retire early and travel the world
- retiring early and spending more time with the grandkids
- the freedom to say no/the ability to say yes
Do any of these ideas sound familiar? Success can be great triumphs or smaller gains, realized in both the short and long term. The point is, success is as unique as the individual behind it. I have a theory that serves as a barometer for what I tend to strive for in this world
Success is the realization of one’s own perceived true potential.
What does this mean? We all have aspirations and a vision of how we would like for our lives to be, based on the things we care about. It is in that space where each of us can find out what real success looks like. These are grounded entirely on our values and preferences. We need to identify those things we care about the most. Fortunately, that is the easiest part because most of us have some idea as to what they are.
The problem is we lie to ourselves because it’s “not realistic,” or it’s “too hard” and many of us end up never pursuing our dreams. We create excuses instead of facing the truth…we’re afraid. We’re afraid because of failure, and we’re afraid because of the what ifs. One of the things we hold most dear to ourselves is the potential for our dream to become a reality, what if. That dream gets us through a long and hard day’s work. What if we could quit our jobs and pursue our dreams, but we don’t. When we are tired and not sure if we can continue, we can climb back into the comfort of that dream and wonder what if this dream were real. Feeling rejuvenated, we are ready to face the world once again. These dreams remain just that, dreams. Because what if we attempt it and fail, then that dream is no more and it becomes a nightmare. But what if you succeed?
So what do you do in this situation? You only have one life, this life is not just the now, but every moment, past, present, and future. I want you to step back from the moment and picture your life as a movie. From the beginning when you were a child, to your present day and then off into the future…all the way to the final credits. Was it a good movie? Were there plot twists, challenges, and obstacles for the protagonist to defeat? A satisfying ending with the guy getting the girl or girl getting the guy, saving the day and riding off into the sunset? Or is it like any other movie, where the plot is uninspired and predictable with poor character development from the beginning to the end? Is it a straight to DVD movie in the big $5 bin of your convenient store? So I ask, if not this movie than when? We don’t usually get sequels.
Back to success, for me, success means becoming an independent worker and freeing myself from the traditional workforce. To do that by creating useful content that will help people reach their maximum potential. For you it could be starting your own catering company because you like to bake and cook, going back to school to become a nurse because you enjoy taking care of people. Whatever it is, don’t be scared because no matter what you do if you’re not following your dreams, can you truly ever be successful?
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