Everyone has their own definition of what it means to be successful. It could be money, or comfort, or happiness, or career or maybe just the people around you. But would you agree that what always comes with success is a sense of fulfilment?
Think about it. If there are things that you want to be different, that you’re unhappy about, how can you feel truly successful?
But what happens when you achieve success. Do you think, ‘Well I’m successful now, so I don’t need to do anything else from now on.’ Far from it. What tends to happen is that your goal becomes bigger, or different, so that you continue to strive and grow. Success is a journey, not a destination.
Success Leaves a Legacy
I heard an interesting quote recently:
‘Success is what you leave behind.’
Here’s the thing – you don’t have to be dead to start leaving a legacy. Success is a state of mind. And if what you do (successfully) is meaningful, then you will (hopefully) inspire others. It’s called paying it forward.
If someone lets you into the traffic, you might be more likely to let someone else in. If you publish your book, your children are more likely to publish theirs. If you are brave and stand up on stage and speak your truth, someone else may find the courage to do the same.
What do you want your legacy to be?
How To Become Successful
Half the money in the world is owned by 1% of the population. So, if you were judging success purely on finances then only 1% of the world are successful. That is clearly nonsense. Being successful isn’t about being a celebrity, or a millionaire (or billionaire), it’s about living your life with purpose.
Of course, the more money you have the more choices and the more good you can potentially do. However, even that isn’t the whole truth. If you had a million pounds you could give a million people a pound each. But if you touched the lives of 500 people in a way that meant they went out and did the same then that’s 250,000 people. And if they did the same that’s 125 MILLION.
Whatever your definition of success is, you have to be committed. It is one of the key things that separate successful people from the not so successful. Always showing up. Being unstoppable.
Remember your purpose and embrace what comes, rather than going through the motions. Remember time is limited, so it’s important to not get caught up in everyday habits and instead step out of your comfort zone more often.
Celebrate Your Success
It is not about the destination. A journey of 1000 miles is a great achievement, but in order to get there you have to start with ONE step. If you take ONE step today towards your goal, you can and should celebrate it.
Who knows what happens tomorrow? You might never get to the end goal. Or you may get there much quicker than anticipated, but the important thing is to start, and then keep going. That is the definition of success. That is what inspires others.
Not everyone gets to the end of the marathon. Not everyone gets to the top of Everest. Are they failures? NO! The failure would be not even trying.
If public speaking is something is something you think you are not good at, or won’t be any good at, that’s fine. But if you have been letting that thought stop you from trying, then that is the real failure. Take the first step. Message me now to find out about our next free Strictly Come Speaking event.
Cheryl xx
PS – If you liked this blog and want to read more blogs surrounding female empowerment, you can find last week’s here: ‘Finding Your Purpose‘
“I’m on a global mission to help 10 million disheartened souls, who are at a crossroads, to STOP asking why me? And START saying why not me!”