Success

What, in your opinion, mean success? Success comes in many forms.

Any opinion is correct to a certain level. Most often people will link success to money. We look up to the rich people and say that they are successful because they look successful to us. We celebrate their success thinking that they got rich overnight. While this may be true to those born with a silver spoon or have won the lottery, it is still possible to be rich when you are born in poverty. Many of the tycoons we know today did not come from very rich families. They managed to get to where they are now because of the perseverance and belief in themselves.

Some people say that riches do not equal to success if they are not influential. Actually, they come hand in hand. When you are rich, whatever you say is a lesson worth learning, and thus makes you influential. However, there are people who do not require money to attain believers. It is the care and love that they show to the world that made them icons. People like Mahatma Gandhi, and Mother Theresa are two unique influential individuals that made the world a better place. Though they are no longer with us, their journeys have touched us all.

There are people who measure success by projects; each project a different scientific breakthrough. The olden day scientists often used themselves as white mice, to test out their own inventions. The modern day scientists would use safer approach, in their opinion. They test everything out on the environment, animals, and other human beings, but never themselves or their loved ones. Perhaps this is a way to keep the brainy bunch safe and the sponsors happy. There are still a small number of scientists out there who are confident that their invention is a breakthrough, they will put it to test on themselves. These, I personally think is worth crowning as successful people.

The younger generation now grades success differently. Everything is about fame and acceptance on social media. Superstars on screen are the idols and every little kid would like to be that someone. Still, the same problems arise. We only get to see their success on screen, not the hours of hard work behind the scenes, not the real struggles they face. Celebrating success on screen is not success at all. Nobody can become somebody overnight. It is the journey through countless dark alleys that is probably their best kept secret that made them who they are today.

Success can come in areas we often leave out of the mind. Has anyone ever thought that being healthy is also a form of success? How many people around us get sick and need medical attention or intervention? Countless people die every single day. Are we grateful that we are still walking around healthily doing our favourite activities with our loved ones? This is the largest success in our lives. What is money, influence, Nobel prize, and even fame when we are laying in the hospital bed with life support? Some are able to see past this and remain positive even in such situations. This is success.

The most important part of being successful is the mindset. When we have the right mindset, we can be successful in whatever condition. Living a great life is a success story worth telling. It is all in the mind. As long as we have a positive mind, we will be attracting the right events into our lives. This is the law of attraction. Like attracts like and it is true every minute of our lives. We would insist that we have a positive mindset but the good things are just not here yet. Perhaps we have overlooked that the good things will only come when we also pursue them. We have to be positive inside out. The best way to do it is to surround ourselves with like-minded, positive people. A little nudge from another positive person is worth a lot more than putting a tonne of efforts blindly.

Perhaps one big success comes from many little successes along the way. We all have our ultimate goals to reach in life. Let us try to break them down into smaller pieces. With each of our very own little success, we get motivated ten folds. Motivation is the strongest feeling that pushes us further up the ladder of success. Start small and think big. Success is harmonizing your surroundings to create a better future.

 

Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.    

Sivananda Saraswati (Swami Sivananda), Hindu spiritual teacher and founder of Divine Life Society, 1887-1963