What does success mean to you?

Suzanne Mercier - Thursday, April 15, 2010

I'm currently developing some material for a conference presentation around the subject of success and providing a pathway for the attendees to follow in order to be more successful at work.  As I was mapping the presentation out in my head, one thought kept coming up:   how do we define success for ourselves?  It's such a subjective area yet so many of us take on other peoples' ideas of what success is and should be for us. 

Success may be measured in monetary terms and for many it is.  It may be measured by the degree of loyalty and support in a family.  For so many others, it's about making a difference, being of service and living a meaningful life.

An equally important question is "What am I willing to pay / give up in order to be successful?"  This question usually helps us identify the level of motivation we have around being successful.

For years, I thought that I would be successful when I made a certain amount of money.  At the level I had in mind, I would be able to do and have exactly what I wanted so people would know I was successful.  Pure ego talking!  Thank goodness I've got a healthier view of success now.

Finally, the ultimate question:  do I truly believe I deserve the success I want?   You see, I didn't really believe I deserved success and my desire to make heaps of money was to show them (and to show me) that I really was valuable.  So, I sabotaged all my opportunities, walking away just before they came to fruition.  Feeling like a fake and fraud and not being good enough wasn't conscious yet it formed the backbone of my view of the world and that's exactly what I manifested.

So, when you think of being successful, really explore what that means to you, what you're willing to do in order to achieve that outcome and what stands in the way.

What do you think?  I'd love to know.

All the very best

Suzanne