WELLthy ways to measure true success are my new year goals and about all the ways we all want to achieve success and live it. Some of us are willing to sacrifice relationship, time and talent to obtain it. It tastes so sweet knowing that we have achieved success. But is it truly?
How do we know we are living our WELLthy measure of Success? How do we measure it? WELLthy ways to measure true success to me is thriving in our purpose while making a difference in our sphere of influence. That’s the epitome of WELLthy living!
MSN Encarta dictionary defines the word “success” as
- achievement of intention: the achievement of something planned or attempted
- attainment of fame, wealth, or power: impressive achievement, especially the attainment of fame, wealth, or power
Let’s start with the first definition: achievement of intention. We all have plans to be successful in our lives. We set up short and long term goals to execute them. We celebrate as we fulfill those goals. It’s a great sense of accomplishment. We feel good and then we set some new goals for ourselves. And the process continues. However, we hit some bumps on the road to success and sometimes we miss the mark. Our attitude determines how we handle the setback. We either beat ourselves up or turn that failure into an opportunity to grow and better ourselves. As Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”.
Let’s talk about attainment of fame. In this digital age, we all have opportunities to be famous. Some use that opportunity to achieve greatness while some turn into attention-hungry people. Some misused that opportunity and go down forgotten or their lives become a subject of ridicule after ridicule. Some quietly use that opportunity to make a difference in their sphere of influence. When it’s all said and done, Horace Greeley says it best “Fame is vapor, popularity an accident, riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character”.
Now when it comes to wealth, I think of Warren Buffet. My husband and I watched him and Bill Gates speak to a group of students at his Alma mater a few years ago. It was obvious to us that these men’s net worth was more than their dollar figures. They understood that their worth was also in terms of their character and the fruit of that character was reflected in their WELLthy marriages and families, their successful companies, and their philanthropic ways. We learned so much from listening to those two and realized that wealth without character is of no value. Warren Buffet is quoted as saying, “Of the billionaires I have known, money just brings out the basic traits in them. If they were jerks before they had money, they are simply jerks with a billion dollars”.
Finally, let’s talk about power. Oprah Winfrey comes to mind. I can’t deny her influence. She is a powerhouse to reckon with. She is astute in her business dealings. Hence, she seems to be careful who or what she associates her name to. The woman is obviously doing what she loves to do and using that platform to influence. I am also impressed at her philanthropic ways. Here goes that character trait again. I admire the woman and how she has built herself into a lasting and trustworthy brand. As Marian Wright Edelman says “Never work just for money or for power. They won’t save your soul or help you sleep at night”.
The common denominator that rings true to the WELLthy ways to measure true success is character. Character is who we are when no one is watching. We will not be successful if our intentions are to merely attain fame, wealth, and/or power. Talents, skills or people we know may get us fame, wealth, and/or power in this lifetime but WELLthy ways to measure true success can only be written by God, with our gifts and a character based in faith, on purpose, through a WELLthy everyday lifestyle. And that is the surest way to a WELLthy measure of success! Cheers to a new year and all the success it will bring us in every area of our lives! Bisous mes belles!
