Success is

Success is ____________. Successful people have ___________. When I think of successful people, I think of _____________________. What words did you use to fill in the blanks? I know you thought of something because success is a word often used in our country. We all have our thoughts about this subject and all of us have been exposed to the huge amount of conversation surrounding this topic.

There are many who say success is all about getting rich. And people who have a certain level of wealth are generally always considered to be successful in our world. The status of wealth is often evaluated based on the amount of money you have, the home you live in, your clothes, and even the vacations your family enjoys. A lot of so-called successful people, according to many, are the folks with power, fame or wealth. Power may come in the form of being the CEO of a huge company, or as a senator or representative of the legislature. Fame could come in the form of being a great singer or actor.

In the end of the classic movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Harry toasts his brother George and calls him the richest man in town. And why is he so rich? Not because of financial wealth. He did not have that. The movie portrayed his richness being in the form of friends. I do believe that friends, those whom I call “centerfielders” in life will help ensure your success. For me, George was successful because he did very well what he wanted to do in life.

My definition of success is to be the best at what you are meant to be in life. Note that power, fame or wealth are words not found in my definition for success. There is nothing wrong with those things, and many people who are successful may end up with power, fame or wealth. But, on their own, these things do not define success.

I think of Mother Teresa, the great Catholic nun who gave her life toward providing dignity and great care for those who were impoverished and dying. There was not a lot of money in her pursuits. Fame would come later after she had already given herself to what she was meant to do in life. Mother Teresa probably did appreciate the fame given to her work because it allowed her to showcase the cause of her life – helping others through suffering and death.

I believe that success is a journey. It is being the best and becoming the best at the thing you were created to do with your life. How do you know what it is that you should be doing? A simple exercise I suggest is to find the intersection of your greatest passion and your greatest strength.

What is strength? It is something you can do near to perfection every single time. This was defined in the Strengthfinder book series. You can improve with education and tools but you are already good at it right now. If you also find passion, you will enjoy great success in life. You will be and become the very best at what you were always meant to be and to do with your life. Still don’t know?

Ask 10 people to whom you are close to give you honest answers to these questions: What is my greatest strength? What do I do best? What do I have the greatest passion for? What do I love the most? If money was not a factor, what would I do in life? Before you get to the tenth person, you may know in your heart what you are meant to do in life . . . your purpose. Being and becoming the best at what you are meant to be.