Or, how do others view success?
Well, some will say success is:
Net worth in moneyFree of debtHow many vacations you take in one yearNew carBeing a famous or highly viewed person
Where this list contains many positive things, it lacks something important; heart and soul, of any kind. Now don't misunderstand me and assume I don't think you should strive for the things on this list. No, I'm only stating that there should be more to success than material wealth or power. After all, we have not mentioned anything that has an abstract value that would feed your soul or uplift you spiritually.
You can be the wealthiest person alive or have the greatest mind and yet have an emptiness or void if you are merely following the list above. Take, for example:
Leonardo da Vinci
Or simply Leonardo, an Italian polymath whose areas of interest included invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography.
The man who has been variously called the father of paleontology, technology, and architecture, and is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time. Sometimes credited with the inventions of the parachute, helicopter, and tank, and whose genius epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal.
Well, many people deem De Vinci to be the very image of success. And he very well could have been. But if you look closely at De Vinci's life, you notice the man was always striving for something bigger and better. Like there was a void, he could not fill with inventions, paintings, or anything else.
People do not know to this day whether the man himself was a Christian although he painted the Last supper, The baptism of Christ, etc. making the point that a person from the outside and the success they seem to have is not always an accurate description of the truth that lies within.
Did Leonardo de Vinci see himself as being a success? A question we will never know of him, but it is one we can ask of ourselves.
I'm using this extreme example merely to get you to see the big picture. What does being successful look like to you? I know what you're thinking. "I would be a De Vinci any day of the week whether he had a void or not." But why when you don't need to?
Who Can Be Successful?
Whether you're wealthy, middle class, or poor in terms of today's society, you can be successful. It just all depends on your definition of success. You can have a large bank account, an expensive car, and a beautiful house, but are you happy? Is your family joyful? What is the account balance of your soul?
Success is merely a mindset each person has, and the fact is, we control our minds. I can live middle class with my kids truly happy and be successful. Drive an old beat up but paid for vehicle, have no bills, and that be my definition of success.
How Does One Accomplish Success?
Every person makes or breaks his or her success by their thoughts and the actions that follow them. Tweet
By giving back to your community and keeping yourself humble to others and their needs can all be measurements of success. Still, if all in life that matters is how much money you can accumulate over the years, no matter the cost to you or others, I will deem you unsuccessful. Or if you are putting all your thoughts JUST into the list above.
What is True or Real Success?
True success involves heart,