But actually, what is success and how do we get it?
According to the dictionary success is obtaining a goal. So, there are many successes as we finish school, further our education with higher studies, obtain a "good" paying job, buy a house, find love, fill the house with children, and on and on and on. Those are societies standards for success.
But what are mine and yours?
Success changes as goals are met and others are set. And since I am a goal orientated person, I can talk about goal setting, or what I call, list making. Oh...I am a list maker, and when I was going full throttle with my career, I had those lists made for the week, the day, and sometimes for the hour. Then, I could push ahead without a burp. I was going full steam.
The most important part of goal setting is to set attainable goals. It is not realistic to have winning the lottery as a goal. That is a game of chance, and goals are not reached when there is chance involved. But, when I set a goal I have a plan (hence, the list) and I also prioritize my list. What is important to me to obtain that goal. If I have a goal of selling 20 items on e-bay, I am going to look at the myriad of items I want to sell and then select the 20 items that is relevant to the time of year. Such as, I would sell a heavy wool coat in the autumn or winter, not in the heat of summer. Then, I would learn how to sell on e-bay, then I would go through their steps on how to be a successful seller. Then, do it. With perseverance (not giving up) and determination, I will reach the success of selling the 20 items.
Sounds easy, but it's not. As humans, we do give up more than stick to it. But, for the few who are determined to see the task to the end and do not give up when the going gets tough, they will succeed. It may take a while, sometimes a long while, but usually, if it is an attainable goal, the goal will be met and success will be met.
The other part of success is doing something that I truly enjoy, and I will add something that I can do. Although I enjoy reading about history and topics on science, there is no way that I could become a success in physics like Einstein. I am not prepared. I could never be successful in this field because I can not do it. So, these topics are interests.
But, I am very creative. I even dream in color. So, I know that I can be successful in some forms of the arts. And today I am proving it by painting some beautiful ceramic pieces or completing stain glass pieces. I am learning, but I am also successful as I complete one project after another. A master, no, not even close to calling myself a master of these arts, but I enjoy them, and I complete the goals of seeing a completed piece.
I am also a researcher and a writer. I love, love, love to research. I can get lost for hours looking up pieces of information. And I have stories to write, stories in my head that I have to share. And I have attained a standard of success in research while working on my master's degree. I took research courses for fun (I love the hypothesis and the variables and the findings). I love what I learn along the way. And sometimes that information is melded into my stories, and I become so excited to share the stories, the learned information with my fellow man, that I want to burst. I am so proud.
There was a day when I loved teaching the composition courses to my college students. I loved it when I saw "the light bulb click" when a student "got it" and I loved playing the devil's advocate on topics that were theirs to write. I loved explaining the argument essay and having them understand or not understand inductive and deductive reasoning. I was successful because I loved it and as one semester turned to another my goals were met.
Today, though, the composition courses have been set aside and I write. I write blogs, and short stories, and genealogy stories (that's the history buff in me), and now a novel. I write. I research. I write some more. And I love it.
Success through writing. Mine is not going to be measured by money. My writing success will be seeing how many people read my words; hearing about how many people I reach through a kind word, through a difficult scene that shows a life event; and touching the hearts of my readers. That will be my success. No Nobel Prizes for me, but then again, Nobel Prizes come in many shapes and forms.
With that, I leave you with Pablo Picasso's quote --
Action is the foundational key to all success
Have a great day....
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