{"id":208,"date":"2008-07-21T14:04:00","date_gmt":"2008-07-21T14:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/2008\/07\/its-all-success.html"},"modified":"2008-07-21T14:04:00","modified_gmt":"2008-07-21T14:04:00","slug":"its-all-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/2008\/07\/its-all-success.html","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s All SUCCESS!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
A client was recently discussing her progress for finding a new job. She\u2019d rewritten her resume, sent some out, and studied online job boards. After a month, she felt discouraged after not getting any bites. I reassured her but she went on to call herself a failure. I immediately explained that she should actually be proud of her SUCCESS. She looked at me like I was from Mars. How could she be successful if she hadn\u2019t gotten a new job yet?<\/p>\n

Because SUCCESS isn\u2019t just the end result. Getting off your butt and taking some action is SUCCESS<\/span>, when you\u2019re enlightened enough to recognize it as such.<\/p>\n

When you don\u2019t get instant gratification for your efforts, do you feel down or indulge in self-pity or feel defeated or all of the above? That\u2019s typical, but unfair. Every step in your journey to reach the ultimate goal is SUCCESS. The hardest part of that SUCCESS may be the work you do to achieve it.<\/span> Yet so many folks don\u2019t acknowledge that as an accomplishment.<\/p>\n

My ninth and tenth books will be out early next year so I\u2019m not a newbie to publishing. People often ask how I manage to write them. How do I get the interviews for my music biz books? In their eyes, getting the book published is my SUCCESS. Yet for me, my biggest SUCCESS is writing the proposal that sells the book. I find that part tedious. It\u2019s a sales pitch. Writing books is pure joy\u2014the easy part for me. Once I have the deal and can write the book, I\u2019m reaping the benefits of SUCCESS.<\/p>\n

People judge my SUCCESS by all the TV and radio shows I\u2019m on. I do get a lot of press. But for me that\u2019s the process I need to go through to continue earning my living writing. The many fan letters from folks telling me how much my writing helped them is another big SUCCESS. Every day! That\u2019s what makes what I do worthwhile. Earning money is good since I must pay my bills. But that\u2019s not what I celebrate as SUCCESS.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to sit back, do nothing and complain about not enjoying your life or getting what you want. Taking the first step to accomplish something is the first SUCCESS. <\/span>Not giving up is SUCCESS. Making that call you hate making is SUCCESS.<\/p>\n

I made my client do an inventory of all she\u2019d done. Once she began to acknowledge her efforts as small SUCCESSES and cheer herself on, she began to get calls for job interviews. More importantly, she felt better. Slowly her perception of SUCCESS broadened with her opportunities.<\/p>\n

In the first post of my Embracing SUCCESS series<\/span><\/a>, I discussed some definitions of SUCCESS of my own and from other bloggers. Periodically I\u2019ve posted more. I haven\u2019t been as successful as I\u2019d have liked about posting for this series lately. My schedule has been crazy with my plate overflowing with blessings of work.<\/p>\n

Am I guilty about slacking off? NO! I consider it a SUCCESS that I prioritized my time to get my paid writing done while still getting some posts up here.<\/p>\n

In the past I\u2019d have killed myself to do it all. Less sleep. More stress. And beat myself up if I couldn\u2019t do everything. Since this behavior hurts my well-being, I curtailed it. So slacking off on this blog for a while is actually SUCCESS to me. I care about myself enough to respect limits. Taking good care of yourself SUCCESS. <\/span>Others may not agree but I don\u2019t care! I feel good because of it!<\/p>\n

This series is intended to make you more aware of the many facets of SUCCESS. It means many things to many people. The more you recognize things that you should celebrate as SUCCESS, the better you\u2019ll feel and the more you\u2019ll manifest.<\/span> Some points to understand are:<\/p>\n

* Appreciating all the little things you do and have as SUCCESS <\/span>is a good way to count your blessings. The more you feel gratitude, the better you\u2019ll feel. Gratitude is a great tool for accelerating SUCCESS. Counting your blessings attracts more blessings!<\/p>\n

* From the point of view of the Law of Attraction, the more you acknowledge as positive SUCCESS,<\/span> the more successful endeavors you\u2019ll attract. Bah humbugging the journey to your goals puts a bah humbug vibe on it. Patting yourself on the back for each little step you take, and appreciating the bigger picture of your life more, feels better than lamenting about what hasn\u2019t worked out yet.<\/p>\n

* Making SUCCESS less about external material acquisitions<\/span> and more about intangible assets, like internal peace and satisfaction, will make you a lot happier\u2014IF you let it of course!<\/p>\n

Now for some more definitions of SUCCESS from other bloggers<\/span>. I greatly appreciate their participation. Lorraine Cohen<\/span> at Powerfull Living<\/span><\/a> participated a while back, with a full post called, What\u2019s your Definition of Success?<\/span><\/a> While I linked to it then, I want to quote part of her definition, since it fits what I just talked about:<\/p>\n

\u201cI see success as anything attempted regardless of the outcome. That\u2019s how we learn and grow. So, I see every action as a stepping stone to bringing our desires to reality.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

When you flow from one step to another, the goal you\u2019re pursuing becomes clearer and more accessible. Dustin Wax<\/span>, project manager at Lifehack<\/span><\/a> as well as the blogger behind The Writer’s Technology Companion<\/span><\/a> says:<\/p>\n

\u201cSuccess for me is a kind of flow state. It’s not just that a project gets finished and that it meets your expectations but that one thing leads to the next. A successful project lays the groundwork for the next project, and so on, in a cycle of self-sustained growth. When all the parts of your life fit together and feed each other’s motion, that to me is a successful life.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

I so love this definition! The last few months left me feeling a bit out of whack, rushing to interview people, transcribing, and writing\u2014writing\u2014writing, while I had to neglect activities and people. Now I\u2019ve been expressing gratitude for getting my mojo back. It\u2019s so true that when you\u2019re in a good flow and life works for you, you\u2019ve achieved the kind of SUCCESS that creates joy and satisfaction. <\/span>The pursuit of money and power doesn\u2019t! Colleen Wainwright<\/span> at Communicatrix<\/span><\/a> has learned the true meaning of SUCCESS and says:<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years, I measured my success by external yardsticks: money, power, lots of juice on a business card\u2014even my status as the post-feminist version of Mrs. Somebody Else (without, you know, actually *changing*
\nmy name, since the deed went down in a post-feminist era.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Ironically, now I measure my success in how quickly I notice when I’m still measuring myself by those old, external standards. Because change, she is a mighty and slow process, and I’d be lying if I said I had the issue well in hand. I’m working towards being comfortable with whatever I define success as, which, at this point, is mainly being comfortable in my own skin. No external rewards for that, but the internal gratification is priceless…I think.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

Internal gratification IS priceless! Colleen\u2019s definition reminds me that my biggest SUCCESS is finding and loving me. To rip off a Master Card commercial\u2014You might buy a house–half million, a car–40 grand, get a raise at work–$10,000. Learning to love yourself\u2014PRICELESS!<\/span> As a recovering DoorMat, I\u2019ve come a long way from the hell I lived in when I hated myself and let people walk all over me to be liked. No matter what else happens in my life, I\u2019ve found SUCCESS!<\/p>\n

Being happy is SUCCESS. Sadly, I encounter many more people who aren\u2019t happy. They may not be overtly unhappy, but they\u2019re living without passion. MANY people pass time, like I did before I took the train out of DoorMatville, instead of grabbing life with both hands and jumping into joyful activities and people. As Jonathan Fields<\/span>, at Awake @ the Wheel<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, says:<\/p>\n

\u201cSuccess is the ability to spend the greatest amount of time absorbed in activities and relationships that fill me up, surrounded by people I cannot get enough of.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes! SUCCESS is having a life that fulfills you, that provides MANY reasons to smile each day. <\/span>A computer techie I know works constantly. He runs from one person to another to charge his high hourly fee to help them. I asked him if he ever slowed down. Surely he must make enough money with all his long hours. He pulled out a bunch of tech toys and explained that there are more and more electronic devices being created. He has to have them all, so he needs tons of $$. I asked him if he\u2019s happy. He looked confused. I know he\u2019s not. He rarely smiles and is always rushing off to work or buy more.<\/p>\n

You can buy lots of toys and clothes and other things, but you can\u2019t buy is joy!<\/span><\/p>\n

Creating a joyful life is an inside job. When you recognize that being happy is true SUCCESS, your priorities will go in that direction. As Scott Young<\/span> at Get More from Life<\/span><\/a> says:<\/p>\n

\u201cSuccess is having a reason to wake up with enthusiasm each morning. If you can do that, the rest will take care of itself.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

Redefine SUCCESS so you can manifest more in healthier ways. Embrace every little things that you do that improves your life and every attempt to reach a bigger goal. If you look for small SUCCESSES to acknowledge, you can feel successful every day! David Bohl<\/span> at Slow Down Fast<\/span><\/a> posted earlier as part of this series and has some questions that can get you thinking about what SUCCESS is in What Does Success Mean to You?<\/span><\/a> The more you appreciate as SUCCESS, the better you feel!<\/p>\n

Thanks again to Lorraine Cohen<\/span> at Powerfull Living<\/span><\/a>, Dustin Wax<\/span>, at Lifehack<\/span><\/a> and The Writer’s Technology Companion<\/span><\/a>, Colleen Wainwright<\/span> at Communicatrix<\/span><\/a>, Jonathan Fields<\/span>, at Awake @ the Wheel<\/span><\/span><\/a>, Scott Young<\/span> at Get More from Life<\/span><\/a>, and David Bohl<\/span> at Slow Down Fast<\/span><\/a> for participating. Gee, I feel a bit more SUCCESSFUL from having them share their thoughts! And there will be more definitions to get you thinking in future posts!<\/p>\n

Thanks to these blog carnivals for including this post:
Personal Hack<\/a><\/p>\n

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and\/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

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