True Success

Does getting a big fat salary or a higher designation imply that you are successful? I do not feel it does imply success for an individual. These factors may be considered as indicators of success for the outside world. For an individual true success is achieved when he can look into the mirror each day and say to himself with a smile on his face that I have achieved success. If you feel ashamed of yourself in the manner you have achieved success in whichever field you may be, then it is not true success.

In my work life, I have come across individuals who would try to take credit for others work or appease their bosses to achieve success. They will stoop to any level to please their bosses in order to achieve more than what they actually deserve. In the short term they manage to reach places that they do not deserve to be by these antics. However, they can’t stay put there because it was not through their own genuine hard work or ability that they managed to reach such levels in their career.  What happens to them in the long term? Their success is like a bubble waiting to burst. As long as they have bosses to support they will stand, the moment this support system gives way, they will have a hard fall. They will stand exposed when their ability comes to scrutiny, which sooner or later will.  This is when they will find it tough to prove themselves because they never had to do that before.

My personal experience has been that it is better to play the wait and watch policy before starting to climb the ladder of success. Try to understand what it takes to achieve success in the field you are. Gain as much knowledge about the work you are doing. It may take time for this but then it is worth it. Do not fear failure. Learn from mistakes and keep moving forward. Persevere without losing patience and get motivation from the work you are doing. Do not rely on any outside stimuli to get motivated. Do not expect appreciation from others. If you do and you do not get it, this itself will de-motivate you. Instead focus on the job at hand. Do it in the best possible manner. Be pleased and reward yourself for doing a job in an efficient manner. Inner satisfaction is more important than getting appreciated by others. I am not saying that appreciation from others does not matter. I am only saying that do not yearn for it. If it comes welcome it and if it doesn’t come don’t get disappointed. It will come when it has to. Nobody can stop yourself from appreciating a good job done by you. Keep doing this because ultimately it is what you think of yourself that matters than what others think of you.

Hence, for those who are chasing success, my advice would be to please stop chasing success. First and foremost keep yourself grounded. Develop the abilities that you would need to achieve success. Keep on improving yourself. Develop the muscle power so that you have the strength to knock at the door of success and if needed knock it down rather than relying on someone else to open the door for you.