Google defines success as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. Wikipedia says that life is a distinguishing factor from plants, animals, and other inorganic matter! Why are we talking about this? Simply because a human being is a blessed soul, that understands the concept of success and life, that which understands the value of success in life, and putting your life to be successful (more clarity - you put in labour, work to accomplish your set of aims. We believe that you understand our wordplay ;))
Isn’t this concept confusing? Then you are on the right page of understanding. Hope this answers a few questions of yours such as ‘why is success important in life’, ‘why is success important’, ‘why success is a journey and not a destination’???
Definitions and beliefs!
When we don’t understand a particular word, we first start from understanding its meaning, then try relating the same to various incidents in our lives, or maybe even start comparing it with others. But we do as per our beliefs. We take those baby steps as per the precedents set by our elders, or near and dear ones. At some point in time, you might just sit down on a rock and think (like The Thinker, a bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin). Thoughts like ‘How far I have come?’, ‘How worthy am I’, or ‘Have I been successful?!’ While these thoughts linger around, we have two awesome people share their perspectives on what success and life mean to them.
The Founders of The Positive Store shed their perspectives on life and success as below.
Founder - Manoj C
“Success is a funny word. I don’t ever think the human mind would get content. Progress would give happiness. (Momentarily)Success is feeling content within and staying there as many times possible during the awaken hours. I like how Eckhart Tolle says. Being in the present moment gives the bliss. Where you are in charge of your emotions and how you feel. We get lost most often with our monkey brain. But staying in the present moment, allows us to be true to the very second which we live right now. If we could perfect this art, then every move of ours becomes a dance and every work becomes the best work ever done. Due to the misalignment of thought, words, and actions, we cause errors. If our action is directed by our soul, and not by the untrained brain, happiness is guaranteed. Through taming the brain, we open the doorway for the soul to play the game in this lifetime."
Co-Founder - Sneha Murali
"Success in life is getting to know who you are and living life with Non-conformity. The daily measure of success is how you lived each day being in the present. Happiness needs to be viral inside, not get viral outside."
Measurement
If success and life were objects, probably you might have taken a measuring tape or Archimedes’s principle to measure success and life. But when it comes to abstractness, it becomes very subjective. But we are people, with emotions, and earning capacity. So, if there is any measuring instrument, then it is right in your hands, it is right within you. Hope that these points act as a mirror and aid in measuring (knowing) your worth! :D
1. Money and monetary melody- Come on! This is the era where money alone brings in various classifications amongst the thinking, living creatures, isn’t it? Our question to you is not about how much you earn, but what do you do with that money, where would you invest that money, what gift would you buy with that money. With more money, comes more responsibility to utilize it reasonably.
It is just a monetary measurement which is just a temporary means to keep you going. With the arithmetic progression of increasing earning capacity and bank balance, events might turn the table around as well. We believe in measuring success and life through the utilization of available monetary resources.
2. People, network, the spider-web- it is human tendency to socialize, to know people, to build a network, and be in that web of chain and connection. It is not just about how many people you know, but it is more about how many would be willing to help you when you are in trouble. It is also about how many of them understand you, even when you aren’t explicit about asking for help.
Just like understanding you based on your friend circle, your work culture, and the people you deal with, also counts to your points for measuring success. Well, the goodwill and your company will definitely make you monetarily worthy. But it is this circle of trust that measures the value you carry around with you.
3. Remember me- Coco, an animated film, beautifully narrates the concept of remembrance. Once the physical body dies on the planet, it shifts to the ghostland. You continue your soul’s existence there as long as you are remembered. It is the story of a great-grandson and his great-grandpa. The Protagonist, Coco, goes in search of that one picture of his great-grandpa so that he is remembered. Well, the story ends happily, but would your non-existence on this planet; give you the same respect as you are living?
This planet is just a temporary visit. And for as long as we are here, we want to be recognized, want to be remembered. For the good of course, for the learnings, we share with others, for the protégée we mentor. Yes, rewards are futuristic, but your action counts now today. We are sure you want to be remembered for the good. So go ahead and do that action item, that dream which you always wanted to do! And yes, be remembered!
4. Helpful hand- Without taking this TEDx speaker’s name, meeting out this concept is a complete failure. Clayton Christensen, professor at Harvard School of Business. In his theory, he says that the end result is not going to be judged on what good we do as a whole, but based on every situation, every individual we help.
You could be minting money. But that satisfaction of helping the one in need, making that person become self-sufficing that is what builds your journey of success. It is more like an emotional investment. It is the universal strategy that what goes around, comes around. The more you help, the more of people’s goodwill are you going to earn, the more rewards would you be receiving.
5. Health- even at the age of 80, if you are able to do your chores by yourself, are able to climb, walk, and stay fit, you indeed are a healthy person. What is the point of earning so much, working so hard, taking stress that might take a toll on your health, when you aren’t breathing enough to live at the senile age?
Exercise, breathe, mediate; for your youth age, for the journey up to 100 years! Along with your physical health, mental health is equally important. If the stress that you are taking is challenging you to grow, become better, then to an extent, it can be considered a healthy one. Else, it might be a toxic one. So while you have teeth, better eat healthily, and enjoy the health keep you strong enough for a lifetime to climb up those stairs of success.
The extra earning
Isn’t it rewarding when you receive that bonus for the amount of work you have done, or when the company makes super profits earn extra dividends! Well, dear Positive store readers, you have earned your extra brownie!
6. Happiness- How happy are you with your work, with the way your home looks, with your bank balance, with your standard of living? Money isn’t the answer to everything. Sometimes it is the money’s greed that takes away this beautiful element of life, called happiness.
Our founder, Manoj C, says that we have been made to believe that money is ill and brings problems into our life. It is the ill mindset that brings misery, the greed for money that creates a problem. However, on the contrary, there are poor people with an ill mindset with no money and rich people with a helping mindset with lots of money.
We believe that money is just a tool. Talking ill about money would neither stay nor come into our lives. So by now, you might be wondering, with what do we measure success and life?
We believe that the word ‘content’ actually helps you measure success and your life. No matter how much hard you work, (or in the slangs how much you slog); if that work or activity is not satisfying, then you have to find happiness. This is just one life, and your responsibility is to simply live it. If you sleep with a smile on your face, if you feel good with all your chores accomplished for the day, you are living your life every moment, and showing a positive percentage of success!
Closing Balance
“At the end of the story, there should always be a happy ending. Else it is not the end.” says our hero from the Bollywood film, Om Shanti Om. Isn’t our life the same? A big balance, a big bungalow, a beautiful family, that is the typical retirement plan.
Anytime you start earning, you want your assets to be more valuable than your liability (and have reasonable liability just so that you are under the safe radar of the tax laws :P). So why not end with a bigger closing balance? Not just at your bank and investment account, but in the life account.
Hope these blog did get through your mind, throwing some insight upon measuring success and life (if not, do read again! It’ll be helpful in a two-way stream - a better understanding for you, and more views for our blog! Ha-ha)!
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