Happiness and Success
Whether conventional wisdom is applicable to any
individual depends on the definition or interpretation of “happiness” and
“success” by that individual.
Is “happiness” synonymous with “success”?
In today’s fast-changing and ever-shrinking world, new ideas,
methods, and processes are being conceived, installed and operated at breakneck
speed like never before. As a result, many of us may become overwhelmed and
confused with the true meaning of “happiness” and “success.”
“Success means doing the best we can with what we have.
Success is in the doing, not the getting—in the trying, not the triumph.” Wynn Davis
Success means accepting yourself as who you are and
whatever potentials you may have, and then act accordingly as if everything
depended on you.
Reflective Thought
Success is to tab into your own potentials, irrespective
of your background.
Case in Point
Howard Buffett, the eldest son of
multi-billionaire investor Warren
Buffett, turned himself into a farmer, instead of pursuing success by
following his famous father’s footsteps.
Success means maintaining integrity and honesty regardless
of the circumstances. After all, honesty is still the best policy in
interpersonal relations, although it may come at a cost and even with
sacrifice. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom may imply otherwise, as our
culture glorifies deception and we are constantly bombarded with familiar
terms, such as “everybody’s doing it”, “cutting corners”, “pulling off”,
“getting away with murder”, “just a white lie”, “rules are meant to be broken”
and many others. Surrounded by all forms of misconduct promoting deceit and
dishonesty, we may come to believe that conventional wisdom condones any wrong
doing as long as it does not “break the law.”
We must challenge this “street-smart” conventional wisdom.
To live without human integrity is to be an incomplete human being; this
unwholesomeness may undermine your personal growth and social development,
leading to your inability to fully realize your full potentials as a human being
in areas of self-worth and healthy relationships. The impact is life lasting
and long term. Do not strive to move up the ladder of success by deceiving and
manipulating others.
On the other hand, honesty and integrity can benefit your
mental and physical health. According to research studies at Southern Methodist
University, efforts to sustain false intentions stress the nervous system,
leading to anxiety attacks. Being honest in all things makes one let go of the
ego-self or self-centeredness, which is the root cause of all human miseries.
Motivation
In conventional wisdom, motivation is looked upon as the
key to success. As a result, there are many books and motivation speeches to
fire up success: “the will to win is everything”, “you can have it all if you
will it” and “you can be anything you wish to become.”
But motivation books and speeches in the form of positive
thinking and affirmations may or may not produce the desired results because
they are a short-lived and shallow approach to ultimate success.
For motivation to work effectively, you must not wait for
someone or something to motivate you. As a matter of fact, the word
“motivation” derives from the word “motive” which is an internal quality within
you, not an external factor, and that propels you into action. That is to say,
you feel deep inside you the needs to act. Inspirational books, affirmation
messages, and motivation talks provide stimulus that is external and therefore
only temporary. How often do people make their New Year’s resolutions only to
see them evaporate into thin air before the month of January is over.
Success has to come from within, and not without.
Remember, the desire for success has to be internal and deep within you to
propel you to achievements beyond anything you ever thought possible.
Thinking Questions
Do I have what-it-takes to succeed in life?
Am I prepared to put in my best effort and sacrifice my
present life?
Challenging conventional wisdom is a must in the art of
living well because true wisdom does not have a blueprint, just as Confucius
said, “It’s not truth that makes man great, but man that makes truth great.”
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
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