What success really means?…

So, I was thinking about my definition of success last night… and I realized I didn’t like it.

Oh, it went a lot further than the dictionary at defining what success is but it, well, it didn’t get anywhere near the side of the barn with relation to why I wanted to write this book in the first place!

So, what was the reason? Well, because I don’t think I’m very successful and being out of work only makes that observation that much easier! And I’m not the only one. I’ve discovered that it’s more wide-spread than I originally thought, this discontentment, this angst about success.

Why is it more widespread? I think the answer lies back with Maslow and Kundalini. Meeting our most basic needs drives us to want more, to want those more ethereal achievements higher up the ladder. Am I over-simplifying this? Sure! But that’s why it’s the subject of a book. Still, I think it illustrates very clearly how this drive for success remains and how failure is so easy to find… if you’re looking.

But that bandies the term, “success”, around a lot of other things. How can it have its fingers in so many pies?

Which is when I stumbled on Definition #2.

Success is the yardstick against which we measure our lives.

Let’s repeat that: Success is the yardstick against which we measure our lives.

How do we know how we’ve measured up? How can we tell how effective we’ve been? What kind of life have we led? By our measure of success, that’s how.

Now, you can come back to me and tell me about people who lie to themselves or settle for less or don’t need such highfalutin ideas – and you’d be right. We’re playing in the kiddie pool of human nature and some piss is going to get spilled.

Still, I think that definition comes much closer to the mark, at least with regards to why I’m writing this book.

This is not a short-term project. I may be working on this for the next year… or more. I’ll keep you posted.