Friday 6 April 2018

We Each Get to Decide What Success Means for Ourselves

a post by Orit Wittenberg for the Tiny Buddha blog


“In this world, an ordinary life has become synonymous with a meaningless life.” ~Brené Brown 

As I see it, there are two types of people out there.

There are those who read goal attainment books and feel inspired, and me.

The former will read the anecdotes about all those underdogs who beat the odds and managed to achieve wealth and prestige beyond their wildest dreams, and will say to themselves, “Wow! That could be me!” They’ll feel enlightened, invigorated, and revved up to make a change.

And then there’s me.

While I may initially pick up such a book with genuine interest, my desire to whip my life into shape will invariably do an about-face leaving me anything but inspired. If I say anything to myself as I read, it’s more likely to be a string of ego-deflating curses than a yearning-filled “one day that’ll be me”.

I actually discovered my aversion for success books by accident. Charged for work with the task of developing an online course on the topic of goal attainment, I began to do some research.

Continue reading

Do not read the books with the idea of following every suggestion as though it was an instruction.
Take what you like and leave the rest.
Or leave the success books alone.
My success is not your success.
Annie succeeds every time she manages to make a telephone call.
Bernie manages to get out of the front door and close it behind him. Success.
I succeed when I can hear a certain voice and not become a quivering heap on the floor.


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