Being Successful

How do you define success? No really; this is not a rhetorical question, but a deeply important question that we all need to be curious about.

Normally, success is defined quite simplistically: money, status, lots of lovely things and maybe, fame. I know people who have those things and are indeed successful. But I also know people who have those things and are empty and frustrated inside. So those things alone are not it.

So, how do you define success?

The sense of being successful is an inner state that is to do with accomplishing that which fulfils your heart’s desire. For Agents of Change, this inner state is often connected with having made a meaningful contribution to their world.

I have come to understand that because real success is so intertwined with the fulfilment of our heart’s desires, the definition of success is highly individual. However, there are Four Principles that, over the years, I have found to be consistently helpful.

The Four Principles of Being Successful

Principle One

Be prepared to do whatever it takes to create a life that fulfils you.

This means discovering and following your Personal Path. Sometimes people want to know exactly where their Personal Path will take them. You want my advice? Forget it! It doesn’t work like that. If you are committed to following your heart and soul, you might find there are a few surprises in store.

Maybe you are bigger than any plan you can think of right now. Maybe you are more capable that you ever dreamed you were. Maybe life is much easier than you ever thought possible. Maybe you can learn to become inspired by your inner itches instead of getting irritated or depressed by them.

Will you do whatever it takes to become the very best you can be?  Nothing else will ever really satisfy an Agent of Change. If you really want to succeed in creating a deeply fulfilling life, you have to learn to trust yourself… and I mean totally.

Principle Two

Be brutally honest with yourself, even if it makes you uncomfortable.

If you want to get the most out of being an Agent of Change, if you want to contribute in a satisfying and meaningful way, there is no way other than telling yourself the truth. This is not always comfortable.

Most of us fudge things a bit over the years. We dodge looking too closely at some things. We deny the importance of things that actually matter to us, pretending they don’t matter as much as they do. We make do, put up with stuff, ignore red flags, and then wonder why it hurts.

This has got to stop. No more fooling yourself over anything! (Especially those little things no one else knows about but you!)

Principle Three

Be willing to learn how to live from your deepest values instead of from your unmet needs, shame or fear.

If you are an Agent of Change and you are not living from your deepest values you are going to feel frustrated. In order for you to do the things you are called to do, you need to be standing on strong foundations. So, back to basics. If you want your life to really work, you need to know what your values are and then live from them.

Oh, but there is one thing that might just get in the way. Your unmet needs. Unless you address your needs, your values are sure to take a back seat.

Imagine your values are like painting a picture and your needs are like breathing. If I were to submerge you in water, you wouldn’t be very good at painting your picture because you would be doing everything you could to just breathe! Unmet needs are like that. They drive everything.

Unmet needs are one of the biggest factors that stop Agents of Change making their dreams reality.

Agents of Change often ignore their own needs, because their concerns are often centred on other people’s needs. But if you don’t meet your needs, you can’t give from an overflowing cup.

We all have needs, even Agents of Change, so get over it! Just pay attention; find out what they are. Take responsibility for them, after all they are yours. Do it lovingly. Then you can put all that energy into living from your values. It is much more interesting.

Principle Four

Act courageously not rashly; becoming bold, brave and expert at risk reduction.

As you and your visions become bigger, so you need to learn how to act more courageously.

Some people think that Agents of Change are unrealistic dreamers. In fact, if your dreams are wild and wonderful… that’s great! Now all you need to do is learn how to ground those dreams and make them a reality. It is this ability that turns an unrealistic dreamer into an Agent of Change.

You need to think well and act courageously. To make changes that last and benefit you and the world around you for years to come, the last thing you need to be is sloppy in your thinking and rash in your actions.

Good thinking allows you to become expert at reducing all risks to the minimum so that you can act more and more boldly as you grow.