What is Success?

What does it mean to be a success? I read Success magazine all the time and they always have someone on the cover who is rich and “successful.” But what does success really mean? Does it mean you have to be rich with a great career? If somebody is a homemaker and does a great job raising their family are they not a success? What about someone who has dedicated their life to work for a specific cause? Are they not successful? These people aren’t rich, but they certainly are successful.

   There is a myth about success. The myth is that success is something you go after, but that’s not the case. The great Jim Rohn said it best when he said, “Success isn’t something you pursue….Success is something you attract by the person you become.”

   When you pursue success then you view success as the end result when in fact the end result is who you become in the process. Money doesn’t equal success. Just because you have money doesn’t make you a success; it just means you have money. If you have gotten money from ill-gotten means does that make you a success? No, it makes you wrong. 

   People who win the lottery are not successful, but they have money. The reason lottery winners blow the money many times is because they haven’t become the person who can handle it. Everything you do should be determined by what it makes you. If doesn’t help you grow, learn, help others, or lead then you need to re-examine what you are doing.

   Life isn’t about being success, it’s about becoming the kind of person and example that people around you notice. They need to see you living differently and doing things on a daily basis that make you better. Are you reading and writing? Do you help others? Do you listen instead of talk? How have you changed to become the kind of person who attracts success?

   You can have all the money you want, but if you have nobody to share it with because of the person you are then it’s useless. How fun is it to spend money by yourself? Not much. Having money can be a detriment to you because you gain a false pretense that somehow you are a success because of it. Money brings out your real character. Like Hall of Fame player and coach Mike Ditka said, "Success isn't measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace."

   If you start ignoring friends and family and doing things that are dishonest then how are you successful?

   The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil. I agree with that. I believe that you can fall so in love with the idea of making money that you forget about everything that’s really important. This is why success isn’t about money. It’s about setting goals and pursuing your definite major purpose.

   This is not to say that money isn’t important. Of course making money is a big deal it’s just not the definition of success. There are so many ways of being a success without being rich.

   Think long and hard about who you want to become. What is your definite major purpose and where is it taking you? Attracting success means you have become the kind of person who is ready for it. It means you can handle it, and help others in the process.