Redefining Success

When it comes to our desire for happiness, people are results-oriented, especially in the western world.  When an action delivers the desired outcome, we consider it a success. When it does not, we call that a failure. Pretty simple, right? We often tie our perceptions of happiness to these concepts of success and failure. We believe that if we achieve our goals – get a promotion, get a raise, buy a house – that we will then become happy.

But what if we flipped the script on that relationship?

Instead of looking for an achievement to make us happy, what if we embrace happiness as a means to achieve our goals. What if we chose life by living from the inside out? The logic is not as backward as it may seem. If you could be happy so long as your basic needs were met, imagine the possibilities that would open up for you. Simply, keep your focus on gratitude. If you could detach your own self­ worth from what you have been and will be able to achieve, you will acquire qualities that will put yourself in a better position to make your aspirations a reality.

By separating happiness from achievement, you lose your ego, become fearless, let go of regret, become more honest with yourself, and feel more comfortable just being you, that wonderful, authentic YOU!

Without the ego that comes with achievement, you will no longer have to live in fear of making mistakes that could activate that ego. Because of this, you are free to act without regret and gain valuable insight that comes with both success and failure. With your focus on gratitude instead of accomplishment, you will not need to manipulate yourself in order to feel good about what you are doing. You can simply give yourself honest assessments of your abilities and your desires.

You do not have to let your goals fall by the wayside, and in fact, you should not. It is important that achievement is not a matter of keeping score but instead is born out of the joy of living out your soul’s purpose.