“Permanent success – real success – is found within YOU. It’s restoring Who You Are; not something you have to achieve out in the world” – Patrick Darling
2015
SUCCESS.
What is “success” to you?
I invite you to really think about this.
What does it look like? What does it feel like? How do you recognize it when it comes into your life? How do you feel when you believe you don’t have it?
What do you consider “success”?
If you’re also an animal trainer or an animal behaviorist, is success training a new behavior or modifying an animal’s fear or anxiety disorder? If you are an academic is it getting more credentials? If you are on a health kick does success mean losing weight or lifting more weights? Is it landing a new client? A new book deal? A new relationship? Is it finding a great job, a new home, or getting pregnant? Are your successes found in helping a stranger or a neighbor? Is it healing a plant or pet? Is it rescuing something or someone?
Are your successes big or little? Are they an every day occurrence or something few and far between? Are they a standard in which you judge your accomplishments or failures? Do your successes define you?
I ask, because I have learned to ask myself these questions.
And how we answer them will determine how we define success in life.
I used to measure all of the successes and failures in my life on whether or not I gained something, taught something, understood something, completed something, or received something.
But all this time, a thought kept coming into my awareness: Maybe there’s more to success than the usual definition society assumes it to be.
Maybe we have it all backward.
Maybe the world’s idea of success is leading us further from true success.
Maybe what the world teaches us to be success is not based in Truth.
“What you think you are is a belief to be undone.”
― A Course in Miracles
Thankfully, after much suffering and beating myself up for what I labeled to be failures or lack of successes, I learned to listen to new Thoughts that showed me a different way of defining success. These thoughts were kind, uplifting, supportive, and loving. These thoughts taught me how to See success in a new light.
These days, I tend to measure success on a different scale. I see the success of myself and of others differently. Not only do I see my success as the same as another’s success (and vice versa), but I see that what the world values as success is not always the most successful accomplishment.
Thanks to a conscious and deliberate shift in my perception now I experience many successes every day. I’ve started to see successes in every day life occurrences. I now see success in people, places, events, and gifts that we often take for granted. I now see what true “success” is.
It’s the little things that are really the Big Things.
It’s appreciating the stuff we take for granted that are the big leaps forward. It’s rethinking what we consider success.
Success for me these days includes:
Being brave; trusting life; not judging someone or myself; setting aside self criticism; not comparing myself to another; getting enough sleep; staying hydrated; staying grounded; waking up rested; being without physical or emotional pain (or having pain but remembering to see beyond the pain with compassion); remembering to laugh (especially at myself); seeing a smile from a stranger; teaching a child something that excites their mind and opens their heart; keeping my heart open even when others are cruel; being fully present; listening to a loved one; being kind to myself; extending this kindness to others; releasing judgement; practicing true forgiveness; being the observer; practicing Self Care; watching the wag of a happy dog; feeling the purr of a content cat; hearing the song of a bird; being in joy; enjoying shade from a tree; feeling the sun on my skin; and smelling the scent of a flower; letting my mind become still.
These are seemingly small successes by the world’s standards, but they are True Successes to me.
first bloom from our passion vine that I planted from a seedling!
Letting go and Flowing
Success happens when we stop trying so hard. Success occurs easily when we allow.
I experience success in just being with the things that I love and appreciate.
I find success in the events of life that bring me joy.
I feel success when I see, feel, or experience things that make my heart swell.
I Am “successful” when I give my presence, my friendship, my time, and my love to others.
I am “success” when I can find peace in the midst of turmoil.
I am successful when I allow Kindness and Love to Rule my world.
I Am success when I extend this kindness, compassion, and love to everyone and every being.
This kind of success is shared. And by sharing this kind of success we change the world. For we are One.
Friends, Never Forget This:
There are countless successes happening in our lives every day.
We just have to be willing to see them and celebrate them!
One new perception, one fresh thought, one act of surrender, one change of heart, one leap of faith, can change your life forever.― Robert Holden
Conscious Companion® 