What Life’s Taught Me About the True Meaning of Success

What is success?

It’s a big question.

Many times we compare ourselves to others to define it.

Is it an expensive car?

A big house?

Designer clothes?

Money?

Successful business?

Overseas holidays?

The price of materialism is often anxiety.

We are worried about losing “stuff” in the future.

Failing tomorrow.

We question our past successes.

So….

The only thing we have is “Now.”

The past is gone.

The future doesn’t exist.

But the apparent truth for success sometimes seems to sit in a cloud of technology.2

And one place that makes it easy to see it all on display is social media.

Other people’s apparent success.

But often it is just the polished and published superficial image.

Often you don’t see the heartache.

The personal pain.

Just a polished front door.

An Instagram moment.

Success does not sit on the outside.

No one will save you.

It’s within you.

Giving other people the power to define it is dangerous.

It’s how “you” measure it.

And you already have it.

But maybe you can’t see it in all the noise of life.

It is many things.

For me it is….

The freedom to do something when I want to.

Stopping and just watching a sunset.

Freedom to learn.

Adding value to a world that needs my voice.

Even when I doubt they will even listen.

To share my creativity.

Even when there are many Picasso’s already.

Doing things that feed my soul.

Having the time to read an inspiring book.

Riding a bike with friends on a Sunday morning.

Sharing the childish rush of descending a hill.

Investing in relationships that matter.

Not having to put up with clients that don’t value my work.

It’s time to stop living your life based upon other people’s expectations.

Living a life based on their impositions.

Their judgements.

It’s time to stop comparing.

When I grow up I just want to be me.

We all have our own gifts.

Appreciating your own greatness is to be welcomed.

Nourished.

Loving you.

Give yourself the time and space to grow.

Invest in yourself.

Create.

Then share it with the world.

You then own it.

That can’t be taken away.

It’s out there for all to see.

Time to tell your story.

Make a difference.

No matter how big or small.

That’s success for me.