Deferred Success
Now is the only time
“I’m gonna be really successful someday…”
I’ve always told myself this in times of turmoil and unrest, such as a soul-shaking career or relationship change, and while it’s great to have big aspirations in life, there’s only one problem with this statement: just when is someday going to come? And besides that, what does “being successful” really mean, anyway?
Okay, that’s two problems, and that just further illustrates my point. What exactly is this elusive target off in the distance, and would I even know what it looks like?
This sort of thinking will always hold you back in life, and here’s why:
Moving Targets
Let’s take a closer look at this model of success. It’s based around arbitrary goals achieved in an arbitrary length of time, and while goals and time frames are useful means of organizing things in life, they don’t serve us well as prerequisites to happiness and successful living.
At what point can I look at myself in the mirror and say “yep, I’m successful!” What if I don’t reach my goals in the allotted time, or perhaps change my mind completely because those goals no longer serve me or my family and friends?
What if it takes 20 years to reach an important life goal that I’ve defined as “success” for myself? Does that make me unsuccessful for the next 20 years until I have reached my goal?
The problem with this is simple: This kind of thinking puts us in a state of not being something until some criteria is met. I will be successful when xyz occurs. There never was, and never will be, any time but the present moment, because the past and future are simply reference points. If you tell yourself that you will be successful someday, you are sending a message to your subconscious mind that you are not already a successful person.
Point Blank
We are not defined by our external circumstances in life, our external reality is defined by who we are and how we think. Achieving goals is great and creating the life of your dreams is the whole point of being human, especially if what you’re doing is making a difference, but if you’re actively engaged in creating a better life for yourself and others, then you’re already successful beyond measure.
The human spirit and the greater good in everything cannot be quantified in terms of currency or material wealth, although these things tend to follow people who have the courage to live fully in the present moment, while always looking inside themselves to find out who they really are and what they’re made of.
Conclusion
Things around us are constantly changing and we as humans are constantly changing. Our wants and needs differ from one day to the next and how we interact with others is going to change as a result. As chaotic as things seem to be in the physical world, we have full control of one thing, and that’s who we are in this very moment and how we change it for better or worse.
To realize this power and exercise it to the fullest degree is the closest thing to a general definition of what it means to be a successful person. Life is nothing more than a series of moments and choices. If you make each moment a success, your life will be a success.
I have no idea what tomorrow may bring, so I’ve decided that yes indeed, I am going to be successful someday, and that day is today.
