Be Thou Successful Date Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 01:13 PM PST Topic Experiences "What do you do for a living? How much money do you make? What's your level of education and where did you get it? Are you married? How many times and how long did they last? Don't you have kids yet? What dress/pant size are you and where did you buy that dress/pair of pants? How big is your house and how much did it cost and what make and model and year of car did you get and did you get all the options on it? What precious metal did they name your credit card after? How many friends do you have and what do they do for a living/what's their level of education/how much money do they make... blah blah blah..." Every day, every minute, every one of us is blasted with these types of questions; questions from people assessing our success. According to the world out there (and often our own friends and families), to be successful, you must be rich, powerful, married with 2.5 kids, with a nice house and nice car, and be a size 8 or under (or whatever the equivalent is for men). Divorce, childlessness,a less than Hollywood body, and lack of further education are all signs of a failed or unsuccessful life. I say, bullshit. Money is nice. Don't get me wrong, I like money. I like houses, cars, relationships, etc., so on and so forth. But since when is that what life is all about? So often, people measure other people by the visible additions and accessories of their lives. And I suppose, if that's what you want, if that's what you're living for, and you acheive it, you can be considered successful. But what if that's not what you're living for? What if you're not living to be married, but instead to experience love? Even love of yourself? If you achieve that, you are successful. What if you're not living to have a big home, but rather a happy home? If you have that, you are successful. If you keep learning throughout your life, even if you never attend college, if you do your best at a job that supplies your needs, if you care for your body, and find ways to honor its beauty and care for its health, then you are successful. And if your friends are the people who make you laugh and think, and who will stick by you in hard times, instead of people, however rich and powerful, who will smile to your face and stab you in the back, then you are successful. And what if you haven't acheived these things? What if you don't love yourself, your home is miserable, you don't learn, you don't honor your body, and you have no real friends? Well, it doesn't matter what you did last week, or yesterday, or even one second ago. If you, this moment, right now, find some way to love yourself, if you resolve to make that change that will make your home that much more pleasant, then you are on the road to success. In fact, you right now are successful. Look into yourself, into your soul. What is it that you want from life? Ignore that clamor from the world, from your family and associates, nagging you to do what they think you need to. What is it that will make life valuable to you? What are your priorities? Find them and run after them. If you have to sacrifice that shiny Mercedes to get them, then do it. If you have to divorce that emotionally abusive spouse, then do it. If you have to deprive your parents of grandkids, then do it. And then it won't matter what those whining voices say. Because you will have succeeded, conquered, won. You are one of the lucky ones, the envied few. And don't ever forget it. This article comes from Shmeng http://www.shmeng.com/ The URL for this story is: http://www.shmeng.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=661