The following observation came out of encouragement given to those who feel less than successful when life shows its imperfection....
may we all strive to see the relevance in each and every moment we face...
Defining Success
~an observation by Rena Cerquetti
(Personal Coaching Mid West Center for Stress and Anxiety)
As I was contemplating the meaning of success in terms of how we feel we have handled our anxiety, I have discovered that for most people trouble often begins with a false definition of such a success. To truly feel successful, and a master of our thoughts and how we feel, the need to prove our results through a daily life that somehow reflects perfection is misleading to say the least. It is easy to feel success when everything is as it 'should' be in our minds, but the challenge remains in those times where life is not exactly how we want it. My guess is this is most of the time!
Instead of beating ourselves up for not somehow knowing the 'right' way to deal with or feel about something, we would better serve ourselves by redefining success. I hope the following quotes will inspire a redefinition of success in terms of our anxiety. Many of us use phrases like 'it’s coming back' or 'here it comes again' as if it is a Mack truck ready to hit us! 'It' doesn't even exist in reality! Anxiety can be created but not sustained without our permission.
We must remember our anxiety is not something out there waiting for the chance to 'get' us, however we must be diligent with our skills and habits to deter our minds from inviting anxiety in to our lives. It has no power, it has no life force of its own, and it is not an entity with energy on its own. We are in control, our thoughts, words and actions either allow anxiety to breed or they don't. Success is being aware and making a decision to change the pattern that allows the negative result. Anxiety is not something trying to hurt us, it is a warning sign for us to check and balance our lives and thinking. Just as physical pain can warn us of a broken bone, anxiety is simply a side effect trying to show us the way. Pain can lead the way to healing if thought of in a different, more positive way.
The choice is ours and its time to redefine how we see ourselves. A victim of something that is not even real or a person who is equipped with the power to choose a different thought is our cross road. It doesn't matter how many times we find ourselves at this cross road, all that truly matters is the choice we make each time. Perhaps we find ourselves at this point more times than we wish, not because we have failed, but perhaps life is simply giving us many opportunities to become stronger.
Deciding who we are, someone now aware, constantly successful because of that awareness, allows us to be able to make the most of any moment we face. We are a success when we believe we are a success and therefore the wait is over! We need to let go of any belief that we are not good enough, not prepared enough, or have not learned enough. The journey itself is part of our success and as we accept all aspects of that journey, instead of agonizing over being perfect, our awareness truly and simply sets us free!
Read the following quotes and greet success with open arms …
"Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that’s where you will find success."
– Thomas J. Watson
A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory.
- Arthur Golden
Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. Courage is what counts.
-Sir Winston Churchill
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.
- General George Patton
Attach yourself to your passion, but not to your pain. Adversity is your best friend on the path to success.
- unknown
Success is a journey, not a destination.
- Ralph Arbitelle
The middle of every successful project looks like a disaster.
- Rosabeth Moss Cantor
Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility... in the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have... is the ability to take on responsibility.
- Michael Korda
The most extraordinary thing about the oyster is this. Irritations get into the shell... And when he cannot get rid of them, he uses the irritations to do the loveliest thing an oyster ever has the chance to do. If there are irritations in our lives today, there is only one prescription: make a pearl - And it takes faith and love to do it.
- Harry Emerson Fosdick
Doing the best at this moment
puts you in the best place
for the next moment.
- Oprah Winfrey
"You have achieved success if you have lived
well, laughed often and loved much."
- Author Unknown