The need to head somewhere

There are alphas who chase success and omegas who stay-put. And then there are all kinds in between who have varied notions of success. Ever given a thought to what success means to you? It is time you did, insists Advaita Shyam Sunder.

Your perception of success could depend on your experiences, values (self-inculcated and external sources), temperament and moods. If you have experienced a lot of success in your life without much struggle or pretty easily, then you will perceive success comes with luck. If your values hold success as a product of sustained hard work and goal-oriented approach, you will perceive success as achieving something through perseverance and clear charted goals.

If your temperament is that of someone who would like to live a peaceful, worriless, and laidback (if not lazy) lifestyle, then, success could be anything that helps you achieve that tranquil life devoid of troubles and hassles.

A person made a crore per year in his stock market investments, and unexpectedly started making 50 lakhs instead due to market crash. 50 lakhs is a huge sum and many people won’t be able to save that much money even during their entire lifetime! But this person was unhappy because he had tasted better and perceived “half-glass empty” as being unsuccessful.

Comfy? Or not?

Many say success is transcending your limitations. But what you view as a limitation might be the exact opposite for someone else. Success is always labelled as per your views of situations in life. You can see how perceiving success is a result of your experiences and values that you have been conditioned to over a period of time.

Picture this. You are in a lousy mood after knowing that the fat salary job which you landed upon is very far from your home. Commuting is a donkey’s work, so you decide to give up on that job. Right now, at this moment, success for you is just getting a job nearby your place with a decent income. So you might perceive success in relation to your comfort zone. In this case the distance from your home to workplace was the obstacle, so you choose the easy out by not opting for it.

For you, success might just mean to aim at being happy with whatever you have and thanking god for each day as a blessing. Your friend might view success as garnering popularity at his workplace along with an increment in his salary. Your career counsellor might perceive success as advancing in one’s vocation every year and carving a niche for oneself.

Alpha? Or Omega?

Success, in the way media or the immediate world around you perceives it, maybe too overbearing. Won’t you be happy living a simple life with no pressure to outperform yourself each time? Well, that might be true, but only if you are the omega type. If you are the alpha type, outperforming yourself might be what keeps your soul intact! Stepping out of your comfort zone, to keep ahead of yourself at all times, might be akin to oxygen!

Therefore it is prudent to stick to your own individual perception of success. But it is easier said than done. Very often people perceive success as how high one climbs but that need not be the case with you. Your perception of success can be not how high you climb rather how many times you bounce back when you hit the bottom. Your perception depends on how well you can get up when you fall down and dust off the dirt. But when your near and dear ones do not look at it that way, you are bound to feel rather hurt or atleast deeply saddened. Not everyone considers failure as a stepping stone to success.

Real success?

There are diverse perceptions of success, equating it with being a celebrity, getting recognition, status, having a luxurious house and car, and so on... But the common factor among all these perceptions is that success for most is realizing one’s dream that one’s mind has set upon.

From this dream alone you can derive a sense of fulfillment. Perceiving success as a result of clearly defined, achievable and focused goals has often been helpful. No matter what your idea of success is, passion for it is essential. So what is your idea of success? Would you rather live your life’s purpose and become the person you were meant to be? Or would you remain in a laidback lifestyle, living everyday as it comes?