"And may the Lord our God show us His approval and make our way successful." Psalm 90:17. "Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." Winston Churchhill. The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." Benjamin Disnaeli.
It is almost cliche, but there comes a time in this journey we call life when we want to know where we stand in terms of accomplishments and how we have impacted the world; at least our little corner. If you are satisfied with where you are at, then that is great. But, for a lot of us, there is still work to be done. In some instances, some people feel cheated, that they were not given the tools and/or the opportunities to make a difference. Granted, life is not fair, and yes, some people have been endowed with more than others. Is this the reason that you feel success has passed you by? Get over it! Why? Because you are still alive, and hope springs eternal while you are in the land of the living. In other words, it is not over until it's over; you have another chance at success. Further, "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." C.S. Lewis.
It is so easy to believe that life has passed you by than to do something about it. Personally speaking, I do reflect on and even lamented over missed opportunities (a waste of precious time). I used to ascribe to the old adage, "Opportunity only knocks once." Not only do I not believe this anymore, but I have come to realize that opportunity can be created. Everyday that we wake up, we get the opportunity to start anew, create anew, learn anew, etc. "The road to success is always under construction." Lily Tomllin.
Success means different things to different people. Figure out what it means to you. The dictionary describes success as: "The accomplishment of an aim or purpose." "Favorable or desired outcome." Robert Collier describes success as: The sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out." It is important to know what you consider success before you can understand whether you have achieved success. Succinctly, "What are you aiming for?" Are you aiming for wealth, health, respect, fame? Is your thinking random about achieving success or do you have a plan?"
Pastor and motivational speaker Steven Furtick says that we need a "New Definition of Success." He says that we should not be addicted to the definition of success that the world subscribes to. He tells the story of Oprah Winfrey when she revealed her new figure after dieting over a period of time. The world gawked at how wonderful she looked. She later revealed that at the time of her unveiling, she was the most unhealthy she had ever been due the unhealthy method she used to lose the weight. She was successful. At what cost?
Our real success, Furtick says, should be when we are doing what God created us to do. Don't start thinking our plans are limited because of this. God has gifted so many people in so many areas, in so many different ways; ways that are interesting, exciting and impactful. "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalms 37:4. True success is not measured by worldly achievements alone. It is essential to prioritize our relationship with God. "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul. Is anything worth more than your soul?" Matthew 16:26.
It also does not hurt to revisit your "Why?" Why do you seek success in a particular area, field, or project?" Along the way to achieving success, you may experience some setbacks, obstacles and naysayers (haters). But, if you know why you set out on the path to success, it will strenthen your resolve as you knock down the hinderances. The Pharisees tried to stop Jesus or at least make Him look incompetent in His pursuit to accomplish what He was sent here to do; that is to give His life as a ransom for us so that we could be reconciled back to God. Jesus was steadfast and unmovable. The Pharisees hated this. They did not get (understand) Jesus. Luke 17:20. And, people won't get you either. It does not matter. Stay the course. "Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember, the only taste of success that some people get is to take a bite out of you." Zig Ziglar.
A little sheperd boy named David (later known as King David) was not deterred when he was not supported in his belief that he could slay a giant Philistine. He knew the power he had within, placed there by God. He was steadfast and unmovable. Queen Ester in the Bible being single minded; steadfast and unmovable in her mission to save her people, had a plan. She was going in to speak to the King on behalf of her people even if it cost her life. Either way it would be okay because she had God on her side. Are you growing in God? Are you yielding the fruit of purpose that He planted in you? Now is the time to look inward and access if you need to make changes to achieve the success that you desire.
"Patience, peristence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." Napoleon Hill. There is no magic here. "Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." John Wooden.
What do you want? What is your goal/your mission in life?
Think hard about this and be careful what you ask for. Some people want to hit the billion dollar lottery. Sounds wonderul. Stop and think what comes with it. More taxes, less privacy, unsavory people in your life, people coming out of the woodworks claiming to be relatives and wanting a piece of the action, and on and on. Just think carefully. Whatever your goal is write it down and make a plan.
Put first things first. Seek God. Pray for His wisdom and guidance in every move you make. I know we think we are the center of the universe sometimes and that we have all power in our hands. I am being facetious. Actually, we are really powerless in so many ways that count. Therefore, it behooves us to seek the power and input of our Creator before we make any moves. He knows us better than we know ourselves and He has the love and the power to guide us wisely and to take care of issues, challenges that arise. In this life challenges will arise. God loves us unconditionally. Period.
Get order in your life. Easier said than done. But try to. Start with your home environment. Get rid of clutter. You don't have to take my word for it, but a cluttered environment leads to a cluttered mind. How can you make clear and decisive plans with all that junk in your head and/or in your physical space? Clean up. Clean out, etc. Put things where they belong. I am only speaking to clutterbugs like me. If your physical space is without clutter, check out your head. Are you harboring any past resentments, hurt, pain, unforgiveness. That is called mental clutter. Get rid of that too. Forgive, ask for forgiveness, forget, and move on. This will bring order/peace to your spirit and your living environment.
Do not let the noise of other people's opinion get in your head. You are qualified. If you are not fully qualified, get started and get the rest of the qualifications along the way. Just do what it is that you have set your mind to and put it out there. So what if you are not an instant success. Most people aren't. "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up." Vince Lombardi.
Believe that you can accomplish your goals. "Whether you think you can or think you can't you're right." Henry Ford. Can you be a success? It's up to you. If you say yes, then put the work in. "Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success." Joyce Brothers.
Continue to grow. Continue to learn. Continue to stretch your mind. Always be curious. "Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement , and success have no meaning." Benjamin Franklin. "Great leaders/people know that success is a process and not a destination." Jon Gordon. Do not become stagnant.
Commit:
Be serious. Take the time to learn all you need to know and do to be successful in the area, field, job, mission, goal, etc., that you have chosen. Make a plan and follow it. Make time to practice. "It's a simple and general fact of life that whatever you practice, you will improve at." Elizabeth Gilbert, Author. Be consistent. If you are not willing to commit, drop it and move on to something you are willing to commit to.
"Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve." Wilfred Peterson. Even with your best efforts, you may fall short or even fail. That does not mean that success is unattainable. There is that old adage that I do ascribe to: "If at first you don't succeed, try again." Figure out what you did that did not bring the desired result and what you can do better when you try again.
Get started right now and don't quit. Do the work, put the time in. "Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better." Jim Rohn. When I retired after more than thirty years of service in the NYC public schools system, I decided to pursue writing. I never thought that it would be easy, but I did not know that there was a lot more involved than I figured on. Well, a lot more than I had expected. I could not change the nature of the requirements to be a writer. But, what I could do is try to improve my skills and to learn more about the craft of writing. Hence, I enrolled in The City College of New York and embarked on earning an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degree in creative writing. I graduated at the top of my class. Was this all I had to do? No. I had to devote hours to writing daily, to read many books, to attend workshops and conferences on writing, etc. I loved and still do love every minute of it."
Lastly, if what you are pursuing to achieve success does not bring you joy, consider finding a goal that will. Another old saying, "If you do what you love, you will not work a day in your life." I agree. When you decide to embrace what success entails, that is the day you decide to choose success. You also decide that you are going to work hard to make success a reality. In conclusion, you do not have to worry about missed opportunities if you are always ready should an opportunity present itself. You also understand success is not a one shot deal. There is always tomorrow and you can try again. Failure is not the opposite of success, it's a part of success. The really great thing about this is that you get to start again right away, back on the road or to continue on the road to success. Make it an adventure!
Get going! May God grant you favor in all your endeavors! Wishing you much success.
Yours, Yvette
Thank you again for all your support. Please feel free to share this blog with friends and relatives. I remain appreciative. You can write your comments to vttlane@gmail.com
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