Have you ever noticed how some folk succeed financially in life while others struggle? After doing some research and talking to different people about their perception of success, there appears to be many theories and opinions as to the difference. This article is posed to offer simple wisdom for our perceived struggles surrounding financial quandaries.
- First, define success. What does it mean to you?
- Second, if success is solely about money, you may just get that with hard work, perseverance, and smart consumerism. Wisdom, on the other hand, will remind us we may be left empty and poor in other aspects of our lives.
- Third, add a bigger picture to your definition of success by including others.
Below we offer Ralph Waldo Emerson’s definition of success by way of Postcards from the Wild Divine meditation series. www.wilddevine.com
“To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
And the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
And endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others,
To leave the world a bit better,
Whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch or
A redeemed social condition.
To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.”
If you apply this definition to a practice in life, how will your definition of success differ from when you first defined it?
Think freely