What does SUCCESS mean to you?

My clients are consummate teachers.

Last week I asked a new client:

“What would success look like in your business?”

I expected to hear something along the lines of revenue, sales, profit margins, products, clients, suppliers and the like.

Without missing a beat she replied:

“Success to me is something totally different.”

I was all ears…

“Success to me is living a ‘proper’ life. Loving people, being in a loving relationship, loving life, having fun, and being loved. Contributing to society, to others, and to the environment. Being kind and helpful. Not being greedy, selfish or just thinking what’s in it for me.”

I could not help smiling!

This was so in line with last week’s topic in my Expect Miracles program where we talked about how your purpose could be as simple as doing what you love; using your skills, gifts and talents; bringing joy and creativity to your work; practising love, gratitude, forgiveness, kindness and compassion to make the world a more beautiful place.

She had inadvertently summarised the essence of my Expect Miracles course: You are love and you are here to love and be loved.

“Success in your business, well… that is something else,” she continued, and we went on to discuss what that meant to her.

Two Kinds of Success

Interesting! Interesting that she so effortlessly distinguishes between two kinds of “successes”!

Success in life: An overarching definition of success and her philosophy for a successful life.

Success at work: Where ‘work’ is what she does, whether that is a business, job, career or something else.

And though she is used to ‘success at work’ and it is important, it does not define her. So whatever the outcome of her ‘work’ and in this case, specifically her business; she considers herself successful if she lives up to her definition of a successful life.

Personally, I think that’s a healthy way to be.

Firstly, to know this is what you stand for and what defines life and success in life for you.

Secondly, to know that this is what you do, but it is not who you are.