I have always been curious about how people become successful and what success really means.
Perhaps because I grew up hearing that my family was “successful” and apparently the people frequenting my house were “successful” too – so I always felt this silent pressure that I would have to be successful in order to not disappoint the family – I thought.
I remember the days that to me, being successful meant to winning a Grammy Award and having a #1 on the charts. Or getting an Oscar. Or maybe a Golden medal at the Olympics. Or a Pulitzer. And how much I have dreamt of a Nobel Award. Or any other accolade…
But are those “Success” or recognition? Being recognized for your work is definitely a success but is that the whole definition or just acknowledgment of merit?
With time I became more “grounded’ and I thought someone becoming a CEO of a big Multinational was the definition of success…Or perhaps being chosen as a dancer to “This Is It Tour” by MJ. Or land the main role for a Scorsese movie (unless you are Leonardo Dicaprio as landing the main role for his movies is now banal). Or was it buying the house of your dreams the highlight of being successful?
Still, very high expectations you might say… But that was my young naive mind going around creating these high scenarios to justify all those achievements as ultimate success.
When I got into the corporate and business world, I associated success to my management, therefore success for me would be having a salary raise and a promotion which was the recognition of my hard work. And I thought, as higher I climb the ladder, as successful I would be… Then the money obsession started. If I could save 10k, was that success? Maybe I needed to save 50k. Or perhaps only after I had 100k in my account I would consider myself successful…Or do I need at least a million in the bank to call myself successful? It was intriguing and my competitive personality was always asking for more, but more was never good enough to be considered successful in my mind.
But then, within my career, I started spending a lot of time with all these really “successful” men and women.. You know, the CEOs and MDs of the biggest Multinationals in the World. And I got to know them better. Same when I befriended music stars, awarded writers, and famous models… And as the time went by… it all started to make sense. It all clicked. I definitely didn’t want to be their type of successful, because that was not successful to me – being unhappy, depressed, not having time for your family or the opportunity to enjoy your passions… even if society tried to impose that they were still successful as they reflect the success idea, I knew I could have my own idea of success.
So I left my big corporate job and off I went. To follow my dream of leaving footprints all over the clouds.
Leaving My Footprints in The World
I can now proudly announce that the last few years I have been the most successful I ever been.
And no. No big job. No Oscar or Grammy still. No #1 on the radio. And definitely no 100k in the bank.
However, through the years my definition of success has changed and evolved. Massively.
So how did I become Successful? Well, there has been a shift in my mentality and my definition of success changed.
The dictionary might tell that being successful is attaining wealth and/or fame. And success it is indeed attaining prosperity to me, but another type of wealth.
It means achieving my desired visions and planned goals.
Therefore, I am successful because I live the life that I visualized and dreamt for me. I am successful because I get to explore all the corners of the World at my own pace. I am successful because I am writing this blog post and in front of me I have the most stunning views and I am sipping on my mango juice and eat pineapple. I am successful because I now love Mondays – Yes, it’s a Monday today and I love it. I am successful because I chose to have my calling as a career – which is helping people and inspiring them to live their dream life. I am successful because I have learned how to appreciate how blessed I am. I am successful because I am grateful for all I have got and don’t take anything for granted. And I am successful because I am leaving my (positive) footprints in the clouds (and in the sand) wherever I go, and to be able to inspire people to create their own footprints is the biggest accolade I could ever receive.
Normal working day for me!
Today, being successful is synonymous with being genuinely happy, and that I am and intend to always be.
Hope you achieve success and happiness just like I did. Remember, it is all in your mind and you have the power to control your own definition of success.
Much love from Sunny Bali <3
Emma
That was awesome, you’re right and keep living in that mindset then surely blissfulness is yours forever.
Thanks for sharing Emma.
Thank you very much =) That is very kind of you and I shall keep sharing my adventures and blissfulness <3