subject: Success Amplifies What Is Already There [print this page] Do you dream of a big financial windfall to solve your money woes? Are you waiting for that one big business deal or career achievement so you can feel like you've truly arrived? If so, I'm here to tell you that the big achievement you are striving and waiting for will only amplify what is already there.
I'm not saying that succeeding and achieving won't feel great - it often does. And, well thought out goals that align with who you really are and what you really want is one of the most fulfilling parts of life's journey. However, what often makes them feel hollow or sets you up for a letdown is expecting that somehow an achievement is going to fundamentally change who you are and how you experience the world.
For instance, I can remember my first job out of college. I did not like being there and could not wait to find a different company. I was convinced once I switched companies things would be great! Well, I ended up spending 7 years there. Then, I was thrilled to get an opportunity to not only go to a new company but also enter a new field (web programming) - now things would be ideal, right? Well, it was a good opportunity and a job I enjoyed but you know what? I hadn't changed on the inside and was just trying to shove a square peg in a round hole. It wasn't all that different. I wasn't any happier in the long run, and found myself experiencing the same dj vu again just with a different cast of characters. Ever feel that way?
I was watching Alanis Morrisette do a mini interview on the Sundance Channel program Abbey Road recently. She shared about her success as a musician, rock star, and actress. One of the greatest lessons she learned about herself while becoming super successful is that success only amplifies what is already there. If you are at war with yourself, it gets that much more intense.
If you're an overachiever you may have found yourself reaching a goal but still not feeling good enough? You know - like the Olympic medalists who pout like a spoiled kid because they ONLY won the silver medal. Now I "get" wanting to win the gold, but a silver medal in the Olympics is nothing to sneeze at. Well, I did the same sort of thing in my life - graduating "only" 4th in my class or playing a recital piece perfect except for one small passage. I was already feeling badly about myself and only beat myself up more because I was chasing some perfection that didn't exist.
So just think about this in your own life. Think about a time when you had a goal you were oh so sure was going to "make it all right" - the next promotion, raise, etc. It feels like an external goal will sweep in like faerie dust and make everything great. Think about your life just after you achieved an important goal you had set. Did your life fundamentally change? Did your way of being shift at its core? Did self-sabotage and money woes vanish instantly? I think not! Why? The one constant before and after was YOU. As I say over and over - wherever you go, there you are. There's no escaping this fact.
So if success only amplifies what is already there, does that mean you shouldn't have goals, desire more wealth, or take action to fulfill your dreams? Absolutely Not! What it does mean is that you can have more of what you want RIGHT NOW by working from the inside out and becoming more of the person you most want to be today. The real secret to this win-win is not only do you get more of what you want right now and find yourself happier and more fulfilled, but you also grease the rails for achieving your desires. The real super duper win in all of this is that when you do achieve your desires you are amplifying what you really want instead of simply turning up the volume on what you don't desire.
