Monday, February 26, 2007

A New and Improved Definition of Succe$$

It occurred to me after a recent conversation with my brother that as we enter our senior years [according to AARP it’s now age 50] many of us experience some angst over whether or not we are a success in life. Naturally, success means something quite different to each individual and may be altogether different when judged by the culture into which we are born.

During our conversation we agreed that there are great unexplored possibilities between what society may judge as success, and what success means to each of us. We also decided that it was of vital importance to know what living a successful life means to you, otherwise you have no compass to help you stay the course, or to feed your soul when the going gets rough.

Our concept of success or failure can certainly change depending on our circumstances and our level of awareness. During my thirties I criticized myself severely because I wasn’t successful. When I look back, however, I realize this was an unfair indictment of my life. I was a divorced, single mother in survival mode tying to balance making a living, supporting and rearing three children and carving out a career.

After a few more days of mentally walking back through my life, I emailed my brother and announced that I was boldly declaring myself a success. I then listed what I considered solid reasons for this decision: 1) I had taken whatever came into my life and given it everything I had from a positive standpoint, and no matter how anyone else perceived it, it was the best I could do with my level of awareness at that time, and 2) Since it is a human habit to judge ourselves critically, and I was complete with that unhealthy behavior, I decided to cut myself some slack and be better to myself than I had ever been before.

As I clicked on the Send button, my entire body seemed to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

My brother responded with a request for further conversation. After some more soul searching and reflection, we reached agreement on the following: If you are fully living your gifts and talents and seeking to serve life, God, you are a success. I thought later that if many people chose to follow this concise and profound philosophy it could change the world.

I believe that those who courageously approach life in this way and who dare to actively seek Truth and conscious awareness should be candidates for a Cosmic Badge of Courage (C.B.C.). When I thought about how desperately our world needs such souls today, I realized I could count a small number among my friends, associates and family members.

The first one I would nominate for a C.B.C. would be my friend Shayla, whose bodacious pronouncement [paraphrased from memory] always brightens my day and brings a smile: It isn’t my goal to complete this life with my body intact, but to continue pushing the envelope of what is possible and to slide into that unknown with a smile that acknowledges that I felt every bump and bruise, thoroughly enjoyed the ride … and deliberately made a difference.
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Copyright 2007 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author's book, THE HEART KNOWS THE WAY -- How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within, is available from Amazon.com, other online booksellers, and through major bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders.

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