In I say Who, What, and Where!
, Marcy Hunt wondered: What is having success in life?
Having the talent? Having the achievement? Having the talent plus the achievement? Having the publicity? Or having the talent plus the achievement plus the publicity?
Probably, these elements together with others that were not mentioned—like hard work, mind you—can lead to success; but I’m afraid there’s no equation to guarantee victory.
Not long ago, I came across a definition that confirmed my perspective on what it takes to be successful.
Success is Peace of Mind
The legendary American basketball player and one of the most revered coaches in the history of sports, John Wooden, in his book Pyramid of Success: Building Blocks For a Better Life
stated:
Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.
I make three observations:
- This is not a static definition but dynamic. Here we open doors to embrace failure, and consequently, to learn from the mistakes. And like it or not, if you are a risk-taker, failure happens.
- Peace of mind is an inner concept. It doesn’t matter whether your neighbor thinks you are the best or you are a loser. It’s all about your own satisfaction.
- It doesn’t focus on the results but on the efforts you were doing to become the best. And the best you are capable of becoming not necessarily means being #1.
For me, a successful person is a risk-taker who not only works hard on something he/she is passionate about, but also has the resilience to keep doing it, learning from the mistakes, and aside results, prizes and confirmation.
And that successful person has, my Beloved Readers, peace of mind.
What do you think? What is success for you? You can leave your answer in the comments section below.