What Success is...n't

One of those questions that will always be of interest to people irrespective of their generation is what exactly success is. Then quickly comes to mind the question of if success is exactly anything. I say this because success to one person may actually be utter failure to another. As it is said, “One man’s food can be another’s poison.”

Earl Nightingale once said, “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” I like that – progressive realization – which means it isn’t just a destination but a journey. As for definitions of success, Earl’s ranks at the top of my list. In as much as a clear-cut definition may not universally do it for us all, it is possible to earmark what success is NOT. In doing this we will knock off some very popular perceptions and, in all chances, begin to earmark what success really means. So let’s begin.

Success is not money. Money has become a very popular gauge that measures how successful people are. Society has pushed us to points where we erroneously feel successful when our bank accounts are swelled and in effect feel unsuccessful at times they are otherwise. Rather than have this perception, know that it is possible to be successful or a failure with or without a swelled bank balance.

Success is not a destination. I have alluded to this earlier. We customarily perceive success as a point that we must attain before we think we have succeeded. Although attaining a set goal is certainly a part of the success formula, it isn’t the whole. When you keep a fixed paradigm of success as a destination and nothing else you make the journey towards that destination a difficult chore. This greatly takes from the joy of attainment.

Success is not a part of your life. It is common to perceive success as a part of a human being. “He is a successful counselor but failed in his health,” or “She is a great mother but a terrible wife,” we often say. We speak this way because we think a human being is compartmentalized like a department store. On the contrary a human is ONE and hence success must also be the whole ONE life and not a part of it.

These are not all that success isn’t but having highlighted these three, I would proceed in the next a few other articles to state what success exactly (maybe) is.

What it is All About.

“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.”  - Albert Einstein

One of my students recently interrupted me while teaching and asked a question. He said: “Why do we do all this? Why do we wake up in the morning, get all set and leave our homes? Why?” With his question came sixty watchful eyes and attentive ears. They seemed more interested in the answer to this question than to any other thing I had taught in the last hour or so.

Lucky for me, I did not need to think too far to get what I hoped will be an appropriate response. This was because I had thought about this same question several times from my early secondary school days. I remember observing the early morning hustle and bustle of people and old vehicles in Kaduna and wonder why people needed to go through all these daily.

Why not simply sit at home and rest your life out?

The easy answer that presents itself is we do it for the money but I say no! I am not about to tell you that money does not play a part, after all it is popularly said, and believed by many, that money makes the world go round. But as writer, John Stainbeck states, “Anything that just costs money is cheap”.  My life should not revolve round only money and neither should yours.

We get up in the morning, take our baths and leave our lovely homes so that we can add value to the society. Without value everything is worthless. Indeed you must think in the direction of value for anything you do be worth your effort.

You are a nurse so that you can add value to the profession and society’s well-being. You are a policeman or woman to protect the lives of people, thereby adding value to the profession. You are part of clergy so that you can build people morally and spiritually, this adds value to the vocation and society.

It is always a sad thing meeting professionals that care little about the value they add daily to the society through their jobs. They would rather pray change comes by some divine impact than add their part of value, little as it may be, to the society through their fields. I dare say your little part of value is more important than your prayer. If you go the extra mile and combine the two you will have an explosive combination!

180-DEGREES TURN TO YOUR SHOKOTO (Concluded)

         All you are looking for in Sokoto is in YOUR shokoto (trouser pockets) - Yoruba Proverb

“Much food is in the tillage of the poor…”, (Proverbs 13:23). Did you see it? Every time I read those words I grow goose bumps. The proverb says the poor man has all he needs in his land!

     Are you asking the question on my mind? Why in heavens name is he then poor?

Well for one he was obviously too familiar with his field. Familiarity they say breeds contempt. And so he looks at his field and says: “What is my talent compared to great talented people?” Or he says: “This thing I have is too small to make any difference”. Or he scoffs and says: “This thing? No it can’t be any better.”

     On the other hand, he may just be a lazy boy and say: “Nobody succeeds in this type of business, there is no need trying.” Or, “I am a Christian; God will do it for me.”

     Our poor man may just be someone who lacks discretion; he is unable to make responsible decisions. It was the fault of his wife that he didn't go to the field in the last week.

Finally, but not conclusively, he may just lack the necessary skills to manage the deep needs of his husbandry. He took the leap of faith and went to farm even when there were no rains, but does not have a clue what to do next.

     It really does not matter which among the above ails our poor man or if he is plagued by a combination of all of them what really matters is rather than run away from his field, he takes a 180° turn to the opposite direction, and plough. This he must do if he will not have the same destiny as Ali Hafed.

     You must recognize that YOUR field has diamonds! You must discern how to mine it. You must be diligent to plough your field. You must be discreet and learn how to manage the intricacies your own vocational-husbandry. Then, and then alone will you ensure you are not the poor man we just spoke about.