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What does success mean to you?
I know that every single person dreams
of some sort of success. Is it success in business? Is it success in family? Is
it success in health? Or is it success in being a good person and making a
difference in this world?
All of these definitions are right but I
think it is even more important to live a balanced life of success. Successful
living is more than just having a certain amount in your bank account or
reaching a certain career height. Successful living in the broadest sense is
·
a
life that is full of opportunities that you are not afraid to try,
·
a
life full of fun and meaningful work,
·
a
life where you can spend plenty of time with the people you care about,
·
a
life that you live without regrets.
Doesn’t this life sound wonderful?
There are no secrets to living a
successful life, but there are a few keys that we sometimes overlook. First
take a look at the 9-step guide to finding success in lifeand
when you are done let’s sprinkle a little bit of balance on them.
1.
Slow Down.
The reason why we sometimes overlook
success in life is because we are always in a hurry. We are in a hurry to get
somewhere (without thinking whether we really need to be there or not.) We are
in a hurry to reach a goal without thinking whether that goal is what we want
or not.
Allow yourself to slow down, relax,
breathe and ponder on what success truly is for you. Let yourself break free
from the expectations of others and the norms that our society dictates to us.
Set your own rules that are meaningful and important to you.
Success is getting what you want.
Happiness is wanting what you get.
~Dale Carnegie
2.
Eliminate what you do not need.
After you have mastered step #1 it is
time to move on and declutter your lifestyle. Success does not mean being a
superman or a superwoman. You do not have to run a marathon in order to be in
good shape – just 30 minutes of running or brisk walking daily is enough.
You do not have to drive a very expensive
car in order to show your status.
You do not have to be someone you do not
want to be.
Eliminate goals that are not meaningful
to you, declutter your house, stop communicating with people who drain you
emotionally, and give up “empty” activities (TV and too much internet surfing
are definitely the first ones to go.)
By getting rid of things that you do not
need you make room for success in your life.
3.
Do not be afraid to fail.
Failure is success if we learn from it.
~Malcolm Forbes
Failures are inevitable on any path,
especially path to success. There are no doubts that sooner or later you will
make a mistake or your attempts will fail. However, letting this failure stop
your journey towards success is the biggest mistake that you can make.
Failure is just a stop sign on the road.
Just because it is on your way it does not mean that you have to finish your
journey. Stop, wait, go.
4.
Learn perseverance.
“I do not think there is any other
quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It
overcomes almost everything, even nature.”
~John D. Rockefeller
If you are not afraid to fail anymore
you have to learn to persevere no matter what you are doing. Thomas Edison had
tried thousands of times to make the electric light bulb. He said, “I haven’t
failed, I’ve identified 10,000 ways that it doesn’t work.” Of course through
his perseverance we enjoy light in our houses today.
Giving up on something in life is always
the easiest route, but it is not the route that will take you to success. Right
now I am trying to potty-train my twin-girls (all parents out there probably
know how much perseverance and patience you must have to do that.) So far all
my efforts have failed but it does not mean that I am giving up.
We all have projects that seem too big,
too difficult or too impossible. If we can persevere, all those projects will
be a success.
5.
Believe in something greater than you.
There are powers in this world that are
much greater than us. The power that you choose to believe in can be Nature,
Universe, God … The only power in this world that is limited is the power of a
self-centered human.
When you believe in nothing greater than
yourself you give room to selfishness and pride which eventually lead to envy,
jealousy, and inner emptiness. True successful living does not stop on
materialistic achievements; it takes you on the journey towards natural
spirituality and infinite growth.
6.
Take time to love and be loved.
What is life if there is no room in it
for love? What is the point of that existence?
What is the point of working hard if
this work does not bring any results besides money in your bank account?
What is the point of living in a big
house if that house stays cold and empty all the time?
Love is truly the greatest power in this
world. It will inspire you, it will motivate you, and it will give you strength
when you need it.
7.
Think of someone else besides you.
Try not to become a person of success,
but rather try to become a person of value.
~Albert Einstein
If your life is more than a tribute to …
well … you then your life will be a success. If your efforts are not based on
selfishness but rather on generosity and kindness of your heart then no matter
what you do in life you will be successful. When you stop thinking only about
yourself you discover a completely new meaning of successful living.
What does success mean to you now?
Anastasiya is the author behind the
BalanceInMe blog – a place for people interested in practical life
balance strategies. She is passionate about helping people find
their balance in different areas of life: work, family, health, lifestyle,
spirituality and others. She also a runs virtual Life Balance
Retreats for people interested in making lasting changes in
their lives.
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