Many people in
other lands aspire to come to the United States to have a successful life. They
believe it to be the land of opportunity, yet 98% of Americans are never
successful by any definition, even their own. Some few are successful by almost
any definition, like Robin Williams an extraordinary comedian who had
a very large cult following, fame, and fortune, yet he committed suicide! I am
now 83 and it is time for me to look back and ask the question, was my life a
success? In order to answer that question, I need to define what is a
successful life? This is not an easy question and possibly no two people would
totally agree but it seems like an important subject, so I am going to try,
Measuring
Success
We all come with
some gifts and handicaps, so success must be measured against our own
capabilities. Arnold Swartenager developed his body to the top of world-class
standards and has certainly become a success in life. You or I may not have had
a body type for that to ever be a possibility, and Arnold may never be able to
compose a symphony. So a good start on a working definition of success would be
to achieve a large part of our individual potential. Therefore I conclude that
early in life it is important to know ourselves, our IQ, personality type,
physical capability, social skills, etc. I am an extreme introvert so achieving
fame and having paparazzi following me would never seem like success to me.
I did go from
extreme poverty, living in a converted chicken coop, to having two moderately
sensational homes in two countries and both a power speedboat and a 42 Ft
sailboat. That level of success made me a target for people looking for easy
money and I never learned to be comfortable in that position. If I had known
more about myself and what success could be for me, I might not have spent
years on a path to frustration.
Get
to Know Yourself
So, if you want
your life to be a success, I suggest that your first project is to really get to know
yourself, and peel away any self-deception. Your ego will survive,
and you will be better equipped to succeed. If you Google Myers Briggs free
Personality test, you can find out which of 16 personality types you are. If I
had done this earlier, I might have made better mating choices and
created a better definition of personal success.
Know
Your Destination
In navigation and in seeking success it greatly helps if you know your destination.
Ask
for What You Want
Once you have a
clear vision, the next step is to ask for what you want, find ten people who
have achieved your vision and ask them to mentor you to follow in their
footsteps. Even if most ignore your request and only a few offer a single
suggestion, you will be so much closer to your goal. Keep on asking the world
for what you want. You will not get it every time, but if you persist you will
be moved in the right direction. Those who do not ask fail to get help100% of
the time.
Make
Failure Your Friend
If you want
successful life, make failure your friend. Colonel Sanders failed
over 100 times before he sold his first fried chicken franchise. If he had
feared hearing NO he would never have become successful. Failure should not be
our only teacher, but it may be the best one! Perseverance really does pay.
Each failure puts you one step closer to success, and it should be analyzed to
see where you can do better next time.
Be the
characteristics that you need in order to succeed. If you want honesty, be
honest. If you want loyalty be loyal. You tend to reap what you sow or harvest
what you plant. If you spend much time with toxic people you may become one and
your chances of success are then nil.
Has
My Life Been a Success?
Has my own life
been a success? Yes, and no. I have had many failures, like four divorces, but
I have finally have had a relationship that I will cherish and nurture as long
as I live. I have explored the depths of poverty and the heights of wealth long
enough to have learned that both can produce grief and that true happiness can
best be found in the land of “Just Enough”. For me, making anything better than
it was, gives meaning to my life. Be it a product, a company, or a dog’s life.
When I am gone the best compliment that I could receive is “He made the world a
better place to be.” That would be a major success!
In
Summary
In
summary: Know yourself and create a definition of success that fits you. Don’t
be afraid to ask for what you want, and do it repeatedly. Get comfortable with
failure for it is the best teacher. Give to others what you want to receive.
Don’t hang with toxic people. That should do it.
Source: https://bit.ly/3hE0z00
About the author
Jack Harwick is an
82-year-old, former aerospace engineer who helped put planes in the sky,
satellites in space, and men on the moon. He left aerospace to start his own
electronic security business, which is now a division of Honeywell Corp. He is
very creative and has been issued a US patent for the PanoFix photo accessory.
Jack has had many interests that have come and gone. These include magic, cars,
and architecture, but photography has been a constant passion for over sixty
years. Relationships have always been a struggle with four failed marriages.
Because of those failures, self-improvement has been actively studied for the
last two decades, with varying results, but general improvement.
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