Our generation is living in some fascinating times!! From high-flying career graphs and double-digit monthly take-homes to dream cars and early-age real estate investments, we’ve seen it all in one lifetime. We may not own these wow factors in our lives. Still, we definitely have one sibling or another cousin or a friend who seems to have nailed the success mantra with a bang, leaving the majority of the mediocre working population wondering – Where and why did I go wrong?
Well, the team is here to tell you that you didn’t. Yes, you heard it right! To help you explain it better, let’s revisit how we have been conventionally taught to view or measure success!
We say someone is successful when they–
- Are Wealthy;
- Have a fat bank balance/s.
- Are Popular – be it social media or otherwise.
If you were to Google how to be successful using the above definition, a mind-boggling 800 million-plus results would be listed. So there is definitely no scarcity of advice on how to thrive & prosper in this world, but what they forgot to teach us in our B-schools or Engineering Colleges is that success in the proper measure is not always about owning an expensive sedan or being able to buy a 1 Crore worth villa by the beachside. Suppose you were to truly analyze the purpose of owning a car. In that case, it is the convenience of transportation from Point A to Point B. Or, for that matter, the purpose of owning a house/flat is to invest your savings fruitfully, so you have a place of your own to call your own.
In that same true sense, does it really matter whether you owned a hatchback and your junior a BMW?
Or
If you owned a humble 2 BHK in a lesser-known area of your city, while your colleague owned a lush bungalow at a premium spot?
Find it difficult to believe?
Don’t worry! We are not the only ones saying that. Let’s look at how the so-called big names in the world, who have become household names due to their success, define success. Check it Out-
- “In my opinion, true success should be measured by how happy you are.” -Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group.
- “Success isn’t how much money you have. Success is not what your position is. Success is how well you do what you do when nobody else is looking.” — John Paul DeJoria, billionaire entrepreneur.
- “The definition of success is waking up in the morning with a smile on your face, knowing it’s going to be a great day.” — Mark Cuban, billionaire investor.
- “I measure success by how many people love me.” — Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor.
- “It is also nice to feel like you made a difference — inventing something, raising kids, or helping people in need.” — Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder.
Now, these are the ultra-billionaires of the world, the so-called Success Magnets who are redefining our conventional success mantras right before our eyes. Although all these individuals are undoubtedly wealthy, notice that no one mentions “having millions in the bank” as a definition of success, nor things like having more followers on social media, making others envious, or leading an expensive lifestyle.
So, what is the underlying pulse of success? If you were to sift through your motivation behind wanting to be successful, it eventually & invariably boils down to “An inherent need to be Happy.” The standard underlying message in all the above quotes is “Smiling, Being Happy, Being Loved, Making a Difference, Doing something well“. And if being successful in the proper measure is just about that, we can be successful every day in our lives, doing exactly what our life’s purpose is and what our true calling is. Believe it or not, no two people can have the same life trajectory because each one has a unique life script, which is influenced by so many different factors & people.
Now, let us help you change your perception of success-
You can call yourself truly successful if-
- You love your life in general. You have a purpose, and what you do is meaningful to you.
- You’re proud of yourself for what you’ve accomplished so far.
- You do something bigger than you. You touch others’ lives and make them better.
- You have people who care about you (and you care about) with whom you share your achievements. You don’t have to advertise your victories to the whole world—just to those who will be really able to share your joy and appreciate your hard work.
- You see progress. You are not stuck in the status quo. You are evolving and improving.
There should be no stopping you from going all out and giving more than 100 percent of your capability to whichever professional job you are currently engaged in. All we are suggesting here is that you stop measuring your worth and success through that Role.
It is just one of the many roles that we play in our lifetimes. And the day you can rewire this inner shift towards your job, performance, or success, you will be happier and content than you have ever been in your life. After all, that’s what each one of us is genuinely seeking and looking for, aren’t we?
Until then, keep smiling and keep trending!
