My very first session with my life coach, well actually my first few sessions with my life coach was about success. I remember she asked me why I was there, what I was feeling (or not feeling). I told her that I felt like a failure and that I wanted to BE successful and FEEL successful.
She turned around and told me that I WAS successful and I just needed to acknowledge that. I had brought up 3 children on my own, supported a dear friend and her two children, helping her have a ‘normal’ life while coping with Bipolar. I had ran my business for 15 years successfully, got through my son having a brain tumour. The list went on and on. I just sat there looking at her blankly and thinking, but that is just living, it isn’t being successful at anything.
After the session I had two things I had to do – say out loud to myself – I am a successful business owner. This had to be said while looking into my eyes in the mirror and as many times a day I needed to, especially if i was doubting myself. I then had to write a list of 100 reasons why I am a successful business owner.
I came home after the session, and spent the next week researching success, the meaning of success and trying to work out what my definition of success was. I sat with a blank page in front of me trying to write my list of 100 reasons. I just opened my notebook to find that the list still only has one thing on it – I’ve been operating since 1998.
I have come a long way since then, and now I can tell you my definition of success:
- To be happy
- To stand in your own power
- To put yourself first
- To decide what you want and go for it
- To not let other people force their beliefs or their needs on you
- To do what you LOVE doing
- To be WHO you want to be
- To live WHERE you want to live
Oh the list can go on, probably till I had the 100 points on it, but I wont bore you with that 🙂
Question: What is your definition of Success? How have you been successful?
