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“Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury – to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind.”
Albert Einstein
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How do you define success? Popular ideas typically define success as winning, wealth, status, physical appearance, and popularity – the more money and power you have and the more attractive and popular you are, the more successful you would be.
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Growing up with these definitions, success is largely unattainable for most people. At the same time, our culture makes losing even more intolerable to contemplate – being poor, powerless, unattractive, and unpopular is simply unacceptable.
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If we blindly accept society’s narrow definitions of success and failure it takes away our power to decide how we wish to define them for ourselves. Instead we can choose definitions based on our own values.
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We can not become truly successful and happy when we are struggling down a path that is, for most people, impossible to attain and that is not truly for them.
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You may become ‘successful’ in the eyes of society, but it may not really, truly feel like a success. And this path certainly will not ensure you meaning, happiness, or real success in your life. It takes courage and strength to find your own kind of success.
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What is success to you?
”Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.”
Swami Sivananda
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