Greatest Lessons from Year 32 (Part 3/5)
Picture taken from blog.ahealthycore.com
Lesson 3: Success is the Clarity, Intensity & Consistency of Purpose
What’s your definition of success?
Everyone has one, whether it is intentionally crafted or not.
It’s an interesting question to ask sometimes. It may be too heavy a question to ask over lunch or dinner but if you are a leader, it’s an important question to ask yourself and your team when you have the opportunity.
I think we can safely assume everyone wants to be successful and no one wants to be unsuccessful.
Yet, while the desire for success is so real, success continues to be so elusive to so many. Many of us want success without knowing what success is.
We consider success to be the number in our bank account, the car or motorbike we drive, the size of our houses, the position in our work, etc. Yet, it never seems to satisfy us.
What really is success? Some would say success is what you make it. It’s whatever you want it to be. I used to think so too but I now think that kind of answer doesn’t help anyone and it’s an irresponsible answer.
John Maxwell and Zig Ziglar describe success as a journey, not a destination. I’m still trying to understand and apply this principle in my life today.
The truth is, we have little or no control on how and when we enter and leave earth. We only have today. Right now.
If we have to wait till we have certain achievements to believe we are successful, we disillusion ourselves in this never ending rat race where there are no winners and even if we do get pretty far ahead in that race, we’re at best, still a rat.
Over the years, my definition of success has evolved to what it is now:
Success is the Clarity, Intensity & Consistency of Purpose
Success is having clarity of our purpose here on earth. Knowing why we are here, what we are to do and how we should live each day. We are here for a reason far greater than ourselves. When we live self-centeredly and selflishly, we blind ourselves to the purpose we are here for. I know my purpose is to love God, love my family & love others. It’s the greatest, most important and demanding priority of my life and I’m still on the journey of learning how to live that purpose everyday.
Success is having intensity for our purpose. Living each day, each moment and each breath with joy and passion. It is embracing the people and opportunities that we encounter on our journey with all our hearts. We are willing to risk, to love selflessly and to give unconditionally.
Success is having consistency for our purpose. It’s staying focused & being single minded. It’s getting up when we fall down. It’s learning from pain, suffering and failure which are all guarantee in life. But these encounters do not stop us but mould us to be who we need to become to fulfill our purpose. If we do not give up on our purpose, we are still in the journey of success.
As long as I am on my journey of success, I am successful. If tomorrow never comes, I leave with no regrets because I had given my all for my purpose.
What about you? Do you need to rethink how you define success?
