With success, one's point of victory can be another's starting point. Success doesn't mean the same thing to every individual, it varies.
I equate success to the achievement of set out goals and as such, there is always room for success. Whether it involves being successful at maintaining good health, making a positive impact, living with purpose, growing and learning or achieving meaningful goals, success is always on the horizon.
Contrary to popular opinions, success is not measured by material wealth or external validation because material wealth is tangible and external validation can be coming from someone caressing your ego in hopes of getting something in return.
Success isn't also measured by achieving perfection. Some individuals tend to compete with external standards so much so that they lose themselves in the process. If we look within, we all have personal dreams, desires that are in many cases very beautiful ones. Then why do we let random strangers tell us otherwise and at the same time try to lure us into following their own standards? Some people succumb to this because they are in search of something termed perfection.
To make it easier to understand, I would give success a mathematical formula(not a standard one of course):
S= (G × A × P × O)
Where:
S= Success
G= Goals
A= Action
P= Passion
O= Opportunity
Goals are the first thing to keep in mind while aiming for success. Without a goal, there is nothing to look forward to nor is there anything driving us to stay focused.
Actions have to do with all the effort, commitment, consistency and discipline put into achieving a goal. The beautiful thing with action is that it goes hand in hand with hope. This is because we can't always pinpoint when the breakthrough would come, but we still put in the work anyway, in hopes that sometime, someday, success will be within reach.
Then there is passion. Some people may not see passion as a vital ingredient for success but I see passion as the second motivator after goals. Our passion is what drives and motivates us during our journey to attaining success. I hear many people, especially on Hive, say things like they have no passion for writing and they doubt they would be able to thrive here but many months and years down the road, they are still here, thriving. This is because one may not have the passion for writing but may have the passion for making meaningful connections or at the very least passion for making people happy and this is what keeps them going. The thought of the amazing people they will get to meet and connect with or the thought of putting a smile on another person's face keeps them going.
The last variable from my formula is Opportunity. This has to do with the availability of resources and support. The ability to recognize these resources and by doing so, mindfully harness them. Opportunity transcends financial or human resources, it also involves experiences and networks. This is very important because one can set a goal, constantly work towards achieving it with their passion intact and when the opportunity comes, they fail to recognize it. This leads to lost opportunities.
The above is one simple formula I use whenever I talk about success. Success doesn't always have to be grand or mind blowing. The important thing is that we, personally, recognize it as something we set our mind towards achieving and now we have. This is why I do not like people who make other people's successes seem very trivial and worthless.
Success is a journey and not a destination. It is a dynamic and ongoing process of growth, learning, development and every other thing that counts. One can't achieve one thing and end there, this would mean selling oneself short because they clearly are not aware of the potential they have within.
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This post is in response to the #iucontest for the week. Here is a link to the contest post.