This post on success is inspired by the tidalwave of lifestyle design posts on success that are being posted today thanks to Jonny over at thelifething.com and his ebook aptly named The Success Ebook. I am in no part actually affiliated with this tidal wave...because I wasn't asked...*tear*...but lucky for me, I rarely wait to be asked to do anything. So I'm jumping on board and here it is:
Success is a booger of a keyword. That's right. A booger. It's one of those words with a million definitions that apply exclusively to the person using the word (if they have a high sense of self worth) or to everyone except the person using it (if they have a low sense of self worth).
Whoa. Let me step back from these lofty claims for just a moment here. What exactly am I claiming?
Success is such an over applied word that is has become meanful only in situations in which it is immediately defined contextually. So, to be successful, a person has to understand their own personal definition of success. I argue that it goes hand in hand with their sense of self worth. A valuable person is a successful person.
If you base your personal value on what you've accomplished, naturally a series of high accomplishments will equate a feeling of high success. The trouble this creates is in establishing a feeling of continued success without compromising opportunities for growth and development. What happens when you go through a downswing of accomplishments? A period devoid of motivation? Are you then suddenly an unsuccessful person? Are you then an unworthy person?
I don't think so. But I do think that belief exists. And I think that feeds into a belief that people are inherently successful or unsuccessful, which is a dangerous perspective as we begin to blow our accomplishments out of proportion to appear more 'successful' or 'worthy' by other people's definitions of the word than we are.
So, how do you measure such a subjective idea as it pertains to you?
I recently read an article by Malcolm Gladwell (don't worry, I'm only going to reiterate the relavent information here) in which he's interviewing a young man just out of college. He asks the guy, "Are you concerned that you will run into a problem you don't know how to solve?" And the guy responds, "Am I concerned that I will run into a problem I don't know how to solve, or a problem that I won't be able to figure out how to solve? I think that's the real question."
I think that's a true measure of success. You can quantify your level of intelligence by how much you've learned, the experiences you've had, but having the confidence to know that no matter what problem you're faced with, you having the ability to find the answer is perhaps the key to success.
Being a valuable person isn't something that you get once and have forever. It's the understanding that intelligence is malleable. It's a value system that isn't dogmatic, but flexible. A successful person, then, is someone who can gain something from any situation, not because they've done it before, or because they've read so many books about it, or because they have a lot of money and can buy their way through anything (lucky ducks!), but because they know there's something to be gained in any situation and they've learned how to look for it.
Stop feeling like the crab at the bottom of the tank. Re-evaluate your idea of success, make it one worth striving for continually, but not so unattainable that your sense of self value is compromised. Start standing on your own and seeing yourself as the valuable person you are, hottie! (Ok, the crab analogy is a bit of the stretch, but the photo was just so dang cool!)
And now you should download Jonny's ebook. Mostly because of his accent. And a little bit because of the backwards hat.
serial entrepreneur
explorer and adventeur
self-proclaimed ridiculous person
lifestyle design soapbox talker
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What I took away from this is 1) you take strange photos and 2) my hair is out of control. For serious, if I weren’t headed to New Zealand where out of control hair is in (at least that’s the word on the street), I would have gotten it all cut off by now.
But I digress.
It’s true that it’s the knowledge of potential gains in any situation that leads to success. I’ve found that if you expect for a situation to be worthless, it will be worthless, and vice-versa. As Henry Ford said “Whether you think you can or you cannot, you’re right.”
I’m trying really hard not to make a success-related ‘catching crabs’ joke here. I’m going to stop myself here so I don’t do it.
Comment by Colin Wright — February 1, 2010 #
This is just me, telling you, that this was by far my favorite post of yours to date, and furthermore, in my opinion, the best success post that has been circulated. You’re fabulous. And no, I’m not just saying that so you give me a free massage at some point down the road.
Someone needs to start quoting some of the things you’ve said here. Because they are that great.
Rock. On.
Comment by Ash — February 1, 2010 #
I agree – great post! (Made better of course by picture “models” with out-of-control hair!) Seriously though – Kristin, really good stuff – Keep up the wonderful work!
Comment by Molly Wright — February 2, 2010 #
One that I am fairly diverse in interests and skills is that I have an inability to decide what in the future will be most important to me. If I could know now what will be the most important issue to me then focusing my efforts on becoming successful would be easy. Unless I figure out some more specifics I am will likely be a jack of all trades.
Comment by Antman — February 2, 2010 #
I cannot believe I missed you out. I will now beat myself around the back of the head repeatedly.
Really great post and don’t worry too much, following the great response by everyone to the “SUCCESS” book, another collaboration project is in the pipeline and you are the first in…but shush…its a secret at the moment.
From your british, backwards cap wearing fan.
Comment by Jonny | thelifething.com — February 3, 2010 #
I cannot believe I missed you out. I will now beat myself around the back of the head repeatedly.
Really great post and don’t worry too much, following the great response by everyone to the “SUCCESS” book, another collaboration project is in the pipeline and you are the first in…but shush…its a secret at the moment.
From your british, backwards cap wearing fan.
Comment by Jonny | thelifething.com — February 3, 2010 #
What I took away from this is 1) you take strange photos and 2) my hair is out of control. For serious, if I weren’t headed to New Zealand where out of control hair is in (at least that’s the word on the street), I would have gotten it all cut off by now.
But I digress.
It’s true that it’s the knowledge of potential gains in any situation that leads to success. I’ve found that if you expect for a situation to be worthless, it will be worthless, and vice-versa. As Henry Ford said “Whether you think you can or you cannot, you’re right.”
I’m trying really hard not to make a success-related ‘catching crabs’ joke here. I’m going to stop myself here so I don’t do it.
Comment by Steve — May 28, 2010 #