subject: What Success Means To Me [print this page] What Success Means To Me What Success Means To Me
I have been working with Bob Proctor, one of my teachers and one of the best motivational speakers of our time who came from Canada for the Personal Development Expo at the Excel Centre in East London. One thing all the people that listened to him have in common is that they want to be successful. Who does not want to be successful anyway?
My question is, what is success? To me the best definition of success I've heard is from Earl Nightingale who defines success as "the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal" He said, "if someone is working towards a predetermined goal and knows where he or she is going, that person is a success. If they are not doing that, they are failures. Hence a success is the teacher who is teaching school because that's what he or she wants to do, the entrepreneur who starts his own company because that is his dream - that's what he wants to do".
For me success is a journey and not a destination. Success is not only about material acquisition. To me, life is made up of eight vital areas: spiritual, health, family, career, financial, self-development, personal needs and contribution to the society. In other words, to achieve success is not just to be financially wealthy, but also to become wealthy in the seven other areas.
Being successful is not only achieving my goals, but also helping others to win as well. I want my name to appear in somebody's testimonial. I want somebody to say something like, 'I was at a certain place in my life and I listened to this person and it changed my life'. Someone sent me an email recently and said, 'I attended your seminar and you are the first person that gave me the idea that in spite of my background, I could make changes and become successful.' I receive letters and emails daily from people whose lives I have impacted in a positive way with my e-zine (Rise to the Top). This has brought so much joy to my heart. It is more important to be part of the society in which you live and contribute something worthwhile to its success. To me, that is true success.
A good example is Booker T. Washington, who, regardless of his poor and slavery background, conquered insurmountable obstacles and went on to become successful. In trying to describe himself, he said, 'I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed."
When people ask me what the key to my success is, I say it is strategic thinking and planning backed by a strong desire for success supported by determination, dedication, discipline, persistence, perseverance, hard work, focus, personal growth and prayer - I call it tunnel vision. On my 35th birthday I went on a Holy Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and I used that opportunity to set goals for my life of what I wanted to achieve by the time I was 40 and I committed the goals into writing and prayed over it at the Wailing Wall. A goal not committed into writing is just a mere day dream. A goal that is not in writing is not a goal at all; it is merely a wish and it has no energy behind it. I do not only write down the goals, but also how I am going to achieve them and what resources, time and people I will need. I think that really helped me. My childhood instilled in me grit, desire, determination, drive, dedication and the discipline to succeed against all odds.
I will say that God has been kind to me; I've achieved success despite all odds. I really thank God for my life. I've got a great wife and family. I've got beautiful kids too, a beautiful home, great friends and thriving businesses. But, more importantly, today my life has purpose. I realise I was given a chance so that I could share my message of hope and possibility to help others. I have the privilege of touching the lives of people throughout the world with my e-zine and motivational speaking and I am forever grateful for the life I have been given because my mission and purpose is to help others grow and reach their potential. As Og Mandino, one of the greatest self-help authors of all time said: 'the hand of God reached directly into my life and changed my course from living in misery and despair to a life that is beyond my wildest dreams."
I understand that we all have the capacity for greatness. All we need to do is take responsibility for our lives, learn to dream again, set worthwhile goals, have faith in God, and take action. We will be shown the next step as our lives unfold. I am very happy for who I have become and not what I have because I have been trained in many professions and disciplines. Now you can take away all my possessions, I mean everything, it wouldn't matter. I know how to create more of those things because of who I've become NOT what I possess.
Dayo Olomu is a UK-based motivational Speaker, Human Potential Developer, Business/Life Coach, Writer, Trainer, Infopreneur, a Competent Leader and an Advance Toastmaster. His core belief is that we are all endowed with seeds of greatness, and his mission is to inspire and empower individuals and organisations to higher levels of achievement and peak performance. He is the author of best selling "4 Indispensable Strategies for Success" and the charter President of Croydon Communicators Toastmasters. Visit his website at www.dayoolomu.com or send an e-mail to info@dayoolomu.com
