Success On YOUR Terms!

“Is this all there is?” The forty year old professional asked as we sat in the noisy coffee shop.

I smiled.

“No one told me,” he added.

I shook my head. “Me neither.”

“I wonder, would have I done things differently if someone had asked me, “What do you really, really want?”

I understood.

“For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to win, achieve, prove myself and succeed.”

I sipped my coffee, “Success was in the doing?”

“Yes and in the having. Possessions that make me feel secure. And then on the other hand, there’s my sister who lives the Bohemian life style; traveling and spending all her money on just mere living. I secretly think she’s crazy. With no retirement, no assets, no possessions but what if she’s right?”

“Right?” I ask.

“Maybe that’s success?”

“Maybe that’s success to her?”

“Her?” He asked.

“What if one’s definition of success is personal, entirely relative to the individual? You know, most cultures define success far differently than we do. For many people, work is just a way to finance their life not the meaning or purpose of their life. I know this idea is mind boggling, but it’s true. Maybe you’re redefining what’s important to you?”

He stared out the window. “What’s really scary is I didn’t even know I had a choice, I mean until recently I wasn’t even aware that my drive to work, achieve or stay busy was….was nothing more than the only way I knew how to feel successful, it was how I defined myself. What I do has become who I am….”

“You are waking up, seeing things differently. It’s okay. You have permission to change your mind, investments and direction; it’s your life. We call this awareness. Wisdom…..” I said.

ClarityWe have permission to stop and say WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. This is not what I want. This is not working.

At any time, we can choose to become intentional. To be deliberate. And to get real and ask, “What do I really, want?”

Success is yours to define. Let your values, priorities, responsibilities and the season you are in, inform how you invest your time, talent and mental, financial, physical and spiritual resources and energies. Life return on investment is based on YOUR choices. Life choices matter and they are extremely personal.

It’s time to take back control for your life. It’s time to value a rich and meaningful life experience as much as you value materialistic possessions. It’s time to be deliberate at choosing what to invest your precious resource of time in. It’s time to be intentional and deliberate in this making of your one incredible life.

Make a life you love. If you don’t love the life you have. Get still. Be quiet. Pray. Meditate. Get real with yourself and ask why and then be courageously willing to listen to the answers.

Then as you distill what matters now, what you really want your life to be about, what success is to you be very deliberate, intentional, very precise in your decisions and make a life you believe in!

Success…. it’s yours to define.

Pam Hoelzle
425 218 5864