Success~~~What Does It Take!!

What does it take to be successful? For that matter what is success?

There are a number of meanings attached to the word success. Two dictionary definitions follow:

1.  the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
2.  the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

In plain simple language; success is doing something in your life or with your life that improves or affects ones own environment in a positive way. I would describe ones own environment as every thing around you including the people you come in contact with or effect in some way.  So in the Global Environment; that means everyone on earth.  Yes, I see it in your eyes! How can  I effect someone thousands of mile away? How do I improve someone else's life if I have never met them?

Look at the definitions the dictionary provides us. The glaring theme there is a monetary success. Well just sharing your acquired wealth through charities or directly will effect other people. You are already successful through personal achievement and now the fruits of your success are reaching out to others.

WAIT!! Is having financial success the only way to be successful? In the Global Society we find ourselves living in; that seems the case for many people. I beg to differ. Your bank account balance does not make you a successful human being.  There would be so few successful human beings wandering around if that were true.

And of course you all know I have examples.

In Fayetteville, North Carolina there lives a man that we all call 'The Bicycle Man'.  He is not wealthy. He does not live in a beautiful home. He works a normal 9 to 5 job; or at least did as I believe he has retired on a small pension now. All year long, this man collects old bicycles and repairs them. People actually donate their old bicycles to him now. At Christmas, and other times of year, he gives bicycles to children who do not have them. Because, as he says, "Every child should have a bicycle". Is he a success? Oh Hell Yes!!! As much or more of a success than Donald Trump will ever be.

In Amsterdam, Holland there lives a nurse, that by profession alone, is successful. Not monetarily but morally. For many years she worked in a terminal ward of a children's hospital. A job, I believe, no nurse would relish having. So in her spare time she collected children clothes, furniture and other children's necessities and sold them on eBay. The money she collected from those sales were shared between 4 or 5 needy families living near her. All the money. Even when she was down on her luck financially. Is she a success? I will say it again,,,Oh Hell Yes!! I am happy to say that I share my second Life with her.

I have made a considerable amount of money in my lifetime. Spanning 3 career changes in my 33 years of life. But not one second of that time have I ever been as successful as these people. I envy them and am very proud to know them.

My favorite quote about success comes from Reba McEntire. It gives a nice perspective to living a successful life.

To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone. ~~Reba McEntire


Finally; if you can dream of a successful endeavor, no matter what that may entail, you can find a way to do it. BUT!!! Dreaming of it is just the first step. To be successful you must go from the dream to ACTION. Because a dream without action is, well, just a dream.

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.” ~~Karen Ravn


Night