I heard the title phrase yesterday, it stuck with me, couldn’t let it go so I’m inspired to write about it. So many different teachers, gurus, and coaches will talk all about what success is, but in reality it's different for everyone. What does the word success mean for you?
Is it financial freedom? Is it being in shape? Is it true love? Is it the realization of a vision? Maybe it’s a combination of things?
I remember the day I felt truly successful was the day that I threw my alarm clock away. I'll never forget that day. It was when I was 100% my own boss. I'm not a morning person, I found that out early in life, so I always hated my alarm clock. Though the carrot of success moved and changed since that day I’ll always remember it. Anyway, I heard that phrase and it brought me right back to the now.
Joy Is Success. Meaning that the success is not in the future. It's not someday that will eventually come, the day where all your fears are gone, your doubts are squashed, money is in the bank, and you can just sit back and relax. It's not a future time living inside a future self that is better than who you are now.
If we have hope then there is a natural paradox it creates in our minds which believes that someday everything will be okay, even if that day is not today. But someday will never come because the habit of looking at what you have and wanting more, wanting things to be better, wanting them to be different doesn’t exist anywhere but in our imagination and therefore only creates more wanting.
However, by being grateful, cultivating the habit of joy, happiness, positivity, and appreciation creates a power within you. That power does vibrate in the future, it is here now.
It will always be now, always! The more you are joyous and happy today, it will become a repetitive habit. It will create momentum for you to be happy in the next moment and the next. The more you can feel happiness now the more it will become a drug which that you crave. Anything but happiness in the present moment, will feel off and uncomfortable. You’ll want to do the things you are passionate about more, the things that light you up, and you will want to focus on joy all the time.
If you can find joy today, this hour, and this minute then there is no need to look for it in the future. There is no need to look for it in something outside of yourself. There is no need to wait to be happy. There is no need to feel unsuccessful because no matter what your answer to the question of “What is success for you?” The answer, whatever it is, will undoubtedly bring you an abundance of joy into your life. If you can bring joy now then you are successful.
There is an old saying that goes, "There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. "If you want to be successful, find reasons to have joy in your life now, right now. Success is not in our future, it's here today.
If you can’t find joy today then it becomes a goal that is impossible to reach because once you reach whatever goal it is, you'll set another one. If you don't celebrate your victories, you'll never be happy. You'll be constantly chasing a moving target. If success is in the future, it will forever be in the future.
I propose that wherever you are in your life now, you once dreamt of being. Maybe where you are now you dreamt about when you were a kid, you wanted to be a “grownup.” Maybe you wanted to be in love, or be able to create your own life, live in your own place, and not listen to dumb adults. No matter how far back you have to go I promise you that you once dreamt of being where you are right now.
If you don't stop and celebrate that success you’ve created and find ways to bring joy into your life here and now, if you do not make joy a priority, the feeling inside you, it will never be a priority, and you'll spend your life chasing it. Just stop what you're doing. I don't even care if you finish reading this. Stop what you're doing, give yourself five minutes of self-love and self-care. Say thank you to who you are, to all that you’ve created, to all that has been given you, to the Universe or God, or just yourself. Just say “Thank You.”
Find the things, even if it is for a minute every day, that bring joy into your life, and remind yourself to be grateful for those things. I know it's easy to let our focus drift to the challenges. The more you focus on the things you love about my life, the more those things will grow, and as they grow the more you’ll feel successful.
I know so many of us focus on achieving great things, on setting goals, on making plans. How about just for a few minutes we stop and celebrate all the victories that you've had today, yesterday, last week, this month, this year, this lifetime?
Just stop and give yourself permission to enjoy all that you've created. Give yourself a pat on the back. Start by saying, “Good job. Look how far I've come. Look at all I've done. Look at how many lives have been affected by me.” Energize that feeling like a flickering candle until it grows to a raging fire of rampant appreciation, gratitude, and joy for all that is and all that's coming.
Every time you feel the feeling of joy you are a success my friend. What would success be without the feeling of joy to accompany it?
Good Journey My Friends