What Does It Really Mean To Be Successful In Life?

By Lilian Wamaitha

We all want to be successful but rarely do we stop to contemplate what that really means. Are you successful because you have a lot of money or you academic track record makes it so?

We live in a society where you are considered successful if you have a lot of money. But what happens after you have achieved financial success? That is just a single drop in an ocean of success?

And FYI I am not saying that people who have a lot of money aren’t successful. I am just saying that there is more to life and so many ways we can define success.

We are all not Kirubi’s or the Kenyatta’s of today. You do not have foreign bank accounts or big businesses that bring in revenues. Bu does it mean that you are just hopeless – that you have nothing going on in your life?

Related: An Open Letter To 20 Something Young Kenyans 

I was reading the other day, the book entitled, “As A Man Thinketh” and it got me wondering about life.

In his book, James Allen talks about how the way you perceive yourself is what you are. If you think that you are not successful, you are not.  If you think that you are right where you are supposed to be, that is what you portray to people.

I am ambitious and I know where I want to be in life, but am not yet there. It may take me years to be there. But does that mean that I am not successful? So take it from me, you are successful in your own way.

Here Is What It Means To Be Successful

1. You unite people to achieve a certain vision

You may not have all the money in the world but the mere fact that you can rally people to achieve a certain vision, is in its own way defined as success. It may be at that job you don’t like. Being able to bring people together, work with others to achieve a certain goal is success.

It may not be direct because in working together you are making someone else rich, but the benefits are long term.

Your actions today, that decision you make today will impact your life several years to come.

2. You find peace in helping others succeed

Success is not about being selfish and keeping everything to yourself. It’s neither about stepping on people’s toes to get to where you want. It’s about lifting other people from that position they are and helping them achieve great things.

It’s about telling that college friend of yours about an open position in your organization that you think they would qualify for. It’s about looking at yourself and realizing that you cannot exist in a vacuum. You need to help others succeed so that you can succeed yourself.

3. It’s about giving of yourself

I believe that success boils down to how happy you are. You may have all the money in the world but let’s face it, what’s money when you are not happy? You achieve happiness in life by offering yourself to others. These are family, friends and colleagues among others.

The fact that you have a friend who can count on you when the walls seem like they tumbling down is success. You make the world a better place by putting a smile on someone’s face.

4. Success is about overcoming your fears

While success is mainly measured by how much money you have, it goes beyond that. It’s in the way you handle situations. It’s in the way you overcome those fears that were holding you back.

It’s about living your life proactively rather than reacting to situations when they happen. It’s about being able to take risks and just live your life.

Related: 10 Misconceptions in Your 20s That Are Keeping You Frustrated

5. It’s all about family
They say that family is the glue that holds the society in piece. You may have a lot of money but taking a moment to appreciate those people that matter in life outweighs everything.

Even the most successful people find time to take a break from their busy routine to be with family.

6. Success is about hard work

Success is about getting out of that comfort zone and persevering to do what others don’t want to do in order to reap benefits that these people will never have.

It’s about putting in a little bit of effort in that 8-5 job and striving to do what the rest are afraid of doing.

7. It’s in doing what you love

Most successful people in the world follow their passions. They go into businesses they are passionate about. They do not take a job just because it’s available. They evaluate their lives and think about what they would love to do.

They make their decisions on the mere fact that they love doing what they are doing. Don’t live a life of regret because you never got to do what you want to do. Go out there and find your passion and live a life that you can be proud of ten years to come.

In the end,

“As A Man Thinketh” so is he. Listen to your inner voice and know that your life is right where it should be at the moment. You may be frustrated that you haven’t found a job yet or are stuck in a dead end career. At the end of it all, it’s all about your happiness. What do you love doing?

Related: 6 Habits That Will Make You Happy No Matter How Hard Life Is

Lilian is a Communications and Digital Marketing Officer at Career Point Kenya. Contact her via lilian@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke. Click here to like us on Facebook.