Becoming Successful Just Got Easier
Success is not in what you have, but in who you are! — Bo Bennett
Certain things come easy to you. There are things that consume you so completely that you lose track of time when you are doing these things. You are happy to pursue them and master them. However, you have come to crossroads where you realize if you keep doing these things, you are likely to end up broke. And broke is not part of your definition of success.
For me, that is building things. Sometimes, it involves taking them completely apart so I can understand them to their core components and then putting them back together. Most people who know me aren’t even aware that I know how to build a website, let alone enjoy it as much as I do.
I like the idea of understanding someone’s needs and bringing that to life. When building a website, I inject bits of the clients’ personality and things left unsaid, much to their pleasure. Studying human psychology gave me that upper hand.
Now that I am innovating in the mental health space, it might be illegal to use that approach. People are not things. When you try to take someone completely apart so they understand the problem from the core, they break. And the complexity of the human being means you might not be able to put them back together in quite the same way. Oh, but how I would have liked to try.
Life is a straight road to success. Or to failure.
You choose.
I enjoy reading the Bible. Especially the stories. They have a way of sticking around in my head long after I have read them. I feel that there are so many life lessons I have learned that I can trace back to Bible stories.
Summary of the Story of Jonah.
The story of Jonah is simple. God sends Jonah on an errand — he is to go to Ninevah and tell God’s people that God is not pleased with them and is going to punish them.
I do not blame Jonah. Nobody wants to be the bearer of horrible news of doom. People immemorial have been known to kill the messenger and apologize later.
Back to Jonah. He doesn’t do what God wants him to do, sailing away in a different direction. A storm comes. The people on the boat throw Jonah into the sea to stop it. A whale swallows him. After some time, the whale vomits him out, and Jonah eventually does what God wants him to do.
Lesson from the Story of Jonah.
My literal interpretation of the story of Jonah is that there is a place you do not want to go to. You feel that you might need to go there but you do not want to go because it is unfamiliar territory. You have not explored or mastered this territory so it feels like that is a monster you will not be able to overcome.
If what you are doing is not working, it is where you have not gone that you need to go. Those are the things you should consider exploring further.
That is the direction your heart is pointing you should go. No matter how scary. Trust that things will start to fall into their rightful place eventually. Otherwise, like Jonah, the seas will become stormy for you until you pursue that which will lead you to your destiny.
“That which you most need will be found where you least want to look” — Carl Jung, the father of analytical psychology.
No matter what you are afraid of, or how afraid you are, you need to find the courage to pull yourself together and go deep in the recesses of that dark place. Only you can bring light to it. Find the monster that you are afraid of and deal with it.
You must confront your reality so that you can effectively contemplate what it has to offer to you. It might be dangerous and push you to the limit but that is what you need for your growth and personal development.
What you need to find is to be found where you least want to look.
The floor is all yours.
What is your definition of success?
What came to mind as you read this article?
Whatever it is, I hope you will give it your best shot.
Success awaits on the other side of fear!
Life is a straight road to success. Or failure. You choose.
