Meaning of Success

Success consists of doing & accomplishing things. It is doing ones best to make the most of
oneself. However, it is not something that can be measured in relation to the
accomplishments of others. It is an individual matter & must always be determined by the
degree in which a specific person has attained his own highest potentialities.
The first success factor is the formulation of a
Goal. The general causes of our mediocrity in
performance are not lack of ability,
unwillingness to work. The real cause is our
inability to formulate Specific, Positive,
Realistic & Concrete Goals. Besides,
occasionally it is necessary to break end goal
into sub-goals & set specific goals to achieve
the targeted end-goal gradually.
Passion
To attain our goal we should pursue it single-
mindedly, with Passion and Strong Enthusiasm
which moves heaven & earth. Nothing great has
ever been achieved without enthusiasm.
According to William James(the father of modern
psychology) in almost any subject your Passion
for the subject will save you. If you only care
enough for a result, you will most certainly
attain it. If you wish to be rich, you will be rich, if
you wish to be learned, you will be learned; if you
wish to be good, you will be good. Only we must
do only these things & not at the same time a
hundred other incompatible things.
To pursue a goal passionately is the best
possible assurance of success in it. If there is
a way to Success, passion finds it & it is not
cowed by difficulties/obstacles.
No person who is enthusiastic about his work
has anything to fear from life. Real Passion is
indispensable condition for a truly great
achievement. To put it differently, Passion is
one of the prime success factors.
Driving Force
Closely related to passion is driving force that
there is no gain without work. The old saying has
it, Through hardship to the stars. Anyone can
be successful if he prepared to continuously pay
the price for it. If a person stops paying the price
when he has achieved some success then he will
slip back. It means that driving force has gone &
price is no longer is being paid. The trouble with
some people is that they want to get to the
promised land but without going through the
wilderness.

Pay for it & take it. said Emerson. Everything
worthwhile has a price & to make it
meaningful we must pay the price
continuously. Two young men of equal
abilities started in the business world at the
same time. One remained stuck in a small
job all his life, while the other climbed to the
top in his trade. What is the difference? Just
this, the one who was stuck refused to
continuously pay the price of Success.
Courage
Courage is not the absence of despair, it is
rather the capacity to move ahead in spite of
despair. It is the willingness to confront fear.
It means flying in the face of criticism, relying
on ourselves, being willing to accept & learn
from the consequences of our choices. It is
the recognition that failure is a genuine
possibility & that absolute certainty is an
illusion.


A great deal of talent is lost in the world for want
of little courage. In different words, it is not
because things are difficult that we do not dare;
it is because we do not dare that things are
difficult.The fact is that to do anything in the
world worth doing, we must not stand back
shivering & thinking of the cold & danger, but
jump in & scramble through as well as we can. It
will not do to be perpetually calculating risks and
adjusting nice changes, but at present a person
waits, doubts & consults his well wishers, till one
day he finds that he has lost much time in
consulting and he has no time to follow their
advice.
The bravest thing we can do when we are not brave is
to profess courage & act accordingly. The idea of
professing courage is sound because the important
thing is to act, rather than try to convince ourselves
of how brave we are or are not at given moment. SELF
PITY DOES NO ONE ANY GOOD.
Success Visualization
The effectiveness of the foregoing success factors will
be greatly enhanced if we visualize ourselves as a
Success & act accordingly several times a day.
Success/failure in any enterprise is caused more by
mental attitude rather than mental capacities. The
success attitude magnetizes success, the failure
attitude attracts failure.
We must assume a virtue if we do not have it. We must build
up a very vivid picture of ourselves behaving in the way we
want to behave, being the sort of person we want to be &
let this image drift into our minds. Perhaps the greatest
power we have is to use our imagination to help us change
in the ways we want to change.
We should firmly fix in our minds what we would like to do &
then without getting distracted , we should move straight
to our goal. We must preserve the success attitude under
all circumstances. It is wisely said that all things come
through Desire. We become like that on which our hearts
are fixed. We must set our heart on a goal, visualize its
attainment, work for it like blazes, give it that little extra &
with Gods blessings we will achieve it.
Persistence
Persistence enables us to hold on when there is
nothing in us except the WILL which says to us,
Hold on. The magic formula for success is
never-say-die attitude. In other words, we must
abandon our giving up & replace it with dogged
persistence. If we persist & follow up tirelessly
never even entertaining the idea of being put off
we will almost always emerge not only having
reached our goal but often having far exceeded
our initial expectations.
There is no substitute for persistence. The slogan Press on has
solved and will always solve the problems of human race.
The Will to Succeed
Success comes to the person who has the will to succeed. It is no
bonanza, it does not come as a gift of heaven. It is the end
product of our own efforts. It is the result of our will to succeed.
The individual who has the will to succeed takes charge of his
success. He knows what he wants and he plans the sequential
steps for attaining it. He directs & bends the forces of his life to
the attainments of his goals. He does not expect the fate to
throw success in his lap, nor does his rely on other people to
give it to him. He knows exactly & precisely what he wants & he
regulates his daily actions to attain it. He succeeds because he
has the will to succeed. At the back of 99 out of 100 assertions
that a can not be done is nothing but the unwillingness to do it.
Hence, whenever we attempt to do a thing, we should do it with a
will and be confident that we will succeed. We should act as if, it
were impossible to fail. It is will-power that makes dreams come
true. We should not pray for lighter burdens but for stronger
backs. To put it in another way, it can be said that when the
things get tough, the tough gets going.
Efficiency
Efficiency is the quality of being able to complete a job successfully
without wasting Time/energy. In order to live successfully in our
environment we have got to be efficient. We have to learn to
make the most economical use of Time, Space, Energy &
Materials. Intelligent organisation of these ingredients means
richer and more rewarding life. Without efficiency we are not
likely to hit bulls eye very often. In addition, Efficiency increases
our self-confidence & self-esteem.
Shaping our Destiny Ourselves
We should not loose sight of the fact that our
destinies are individual things and that it is up to
us personally to take charge and shape them
according to our capacities, needs, ambitions &
ideals. They can not be handed over to an
assembly-line and come out tailor made to fit us.
They must be designed and hammered out by
each one of us individually. To permit forces
outside of us to shape them for us is to abdicate
our birthright as individual human personalities.
Assuming responsibility for oneself mostly pays
dividends. It enables an individual to develop his
potential fully. It fosters individuality and
develops creativity. It adds to ones motivation to
perform better.
Taking full responsibility for ones behaviour at all
levels-physical, inter-personal & spiritual-leads
to new self-undertaking. It is key to self-
knowledge. It enables one to look oneself
straight in the eye. It develops initiative. It
enhances ones capacity to cope with reality
effectively & boldly.

Along with personal responsibility goes
personal freedom-the freedom to live as he
chooses, freedom to think and act as he
wishes, the freedom to keep in his own hands
the power to decide each step, the course of
his life, the freedom to make mistakes &
profit by them, the freedom to mould his own
life & the freedom to develop his own talents.
Optimistic & Positive Thinking
Positive thinking is fundamentally a matter of believing in a favourable future and being convinced
of ultimate success in our efforts. It is having faith in ourselves and forcing our way to our goal
by sheer will-power and determination. Even when confronted with obstacles and setbacks, the
person with a positive slant of mind is not depressed or disheartened.
Without the basic hopeful and optimistic approach and attitude of mind, one will find it difficult
to sustain ones efforts, especially over long periods under severe stresses and strains in the
force of stiff opposition & competition.
Positive thinking automatically imbibes one with confidence & enthusiasm. It enables the
individual to visualize positive goals and definite objectives and work for them with patience,
perseverance and determination. With positive attitude an individual gains enormous inner
strength. He is fortified with a strong will power and sustained enthusiasm. A positive frame of
mind injects one with tremendous courage & enables him to take reasonable risks with pluck &
promptitude. He is able to take firm decisions without hesitation, vacillation and mental
reservations. He is certain of victory and proceeds towards his goal with determination, no
matter the obstacles, odds, difficulties/dangers. The positive frame of mind enables one to
always look at the brighter & lighter side of things. A positive-oriented person has the ability
to turn initial defeats into ultimate victories. He considers what he gains with successive
experience and how he could turn it to his advantage. He radiates joy, friendliness, co-
operation, warmth. He enjoys hard work and his allotted or chosen course of action. He does
whatever he has to with Enthusiasm, Thrill and Enjoyment. He may have setbacks & difficulties
but his positive thinking will enable him to try again and again and press on in spite of
apparent failures & mishaps. In the end his tenacity and perseverance gains him success.



If we are positive minded, we will not say or think that
something is impossible or can not be done. On the
contrary we firmly believe that all is possible to him who
truly believes & firmly act on that belief. When we have
positive outlook we invariably make a sincere and honest
attempt before we say that something is even difficult.
Pessimism and Negative Thinking are the worst enemies of
an aspiring leader. They undermine his self-confidence
and make him imbalanced, hesitant, doubtful , timid and
uncertain. He is assisted by his self-worries, fears &
imaginary worries. He avoids taking decisions, keeps on
postponing things and give up the efforts on the flimsiest
excuse. He neither exercise initiate nor he accept
responsibility. Hence a person obsessed with failure can
not rise to leadership. He will always be content to remain
a follower and obey the orders.
The person with positive outlook forgets his failures and begins
counting his assets, strengths and gains. Even if the worst has
happened, he still looks for a silver lining and attempts to get
the best out of the worst. Having salvaged what he can from a
seemingly hopeless situation he rises up and fights his way
again. Because of his optimism he never gives up or abandons
his efforts in midway. Nothing, therefore, really worries him. He
has abundant energy, a zest for life and finds anything and
everything interesting and fascinating. He is on the go, doing
things, taking parts enthusiastically in whatever is afoot.
Positive always breeds boldness and daring. It makes us dashing,
enterprising & adventurous. We show Pluck, Display Courage and
take risks. We accept responsibility cheerfully and Dare to try
new ideas, Novel Methods & Untrodden Paths. We have the
courage to search out and take on highly responsible
assignments. We never run away from difficulties and dangers
but face them squarely and confidently.
Positive Personality is made possible when built on firm foundation of
positive mental outlook. If we have a positive attitude, we automatically
acquire a positive personality. A positive personality means Strength,
Success & Leadership. By deliberately changing our Thought Pattern
from the Negative to the Positive Side, we can get into the habit of
Thinking & Acting in a positive way. Use of positive words like yes, can,
will, laugh, good, nice, bold, believe, faith, easy, cheerful, sweet, enjoy,
confident, happy, warm, energetic, love, affectionate and the like in
place of pessimistic or negative words like can not, try, bad, nasty,
doubt, difficult, dull, sour, suffer, afraid, cold, fear, unwell etc we will
find that we automatically become optimistic. We can develop optimism
in action by continually taking action based on optimism. Imagine
ourselves becoming what we want to be. We must suggest to ourselves
that we can and we will be what we imagine. We must think, talk and
write freely about the things which are good, beautiful, healthy,
encouraging & cheerful. Our optimism helps to make full use of our
inherent talents and abilities and we will invariably lead and succeed.

Concentration
In order to achieve the selected goal we must concentrate all our
efforts at all points of time on foregoing selected goal. We
should think, dream & live on that goal. We should let our brain,
muscles, every part of our body be full of that goal and just leave
every other goal alone. We must focus sharply and clearly on
one thing at a point of time. The weakest creature by
concentrating his power on a single object can accomplish
something whereas the strongest by dispersing his powers on
many may fail to accomplish anything. Alexander Hamilton
whom the world acclaims as a great genius says, Men give me
some credit of genius. All the genius I have lies in these lines-
When I have a task in hand I study it profoundly. Day and night it
is before me. I explore it in all its diamensions. My mind
becomes pervaded with it. Then the efforts I make are what the
people are pleased to call fruits of genius. It is a fruit of labour
and thought. Accordingly, we should also strive single mindedly
and steadfastly for success.
Standing on our own feet
The importance of doing things our own way can hardly be
overstressed. That is what makes for full flowering of
personality, self-fulfillment and high achievement. Refusal
to follow the crowd, to follow our own bent of mind, to be
nobody but ourselves in what pays the ultimate dividends.
Some people just drift. They go with the tide, follow the line
of least resistance, just think and do as others think and
do and thus deny individuality and personality. Self-denial
amounts to self-betrayal. To be self-reliant, self-fulfilling
and achieving personality we must master the techniques
of standing on own feet. Self-help is said to be best and
the sure help for attaining success. Our aim should be not
to depend on other people.

Do not lose temper
Only those persons who are emotional and excitable, lose temper easily
and instantly. A quick tempered person will prove to be highly irritable
and difficult to get along with. When we get emotional and lose our
temper, our reason and logic will take to flight. We tend to say things
which we really did not mean. We are prone to overstate or exaggerate.
We may also reveal a lot of things which we should not disclose. A
person under the grip of temper invariably loses his self-control. Thus
by losing our temper we are likely to incur a lot of avoidable trouble in
addition to saying unpleasant, unwanted, unnecessary and incorrect
things and there losing friends and creating enemies.
A sharp, unguarded, quick temper causes us great harm and no good
whatever. It makes us vulnerable and weak. We should, therefore, give
way to our temper. An individual lacking self-confidence can not
establish himself as a firm leader. To become a successful leader we
must control our temper and guard our tongue. We must be objective
and should not get excited. We must never act in haste. A smiling and
friendly approach will fetch us co-operation and success.
Judicious Time Management
If we manage the time at our disposal effectively, there
is every likelihood of our success. In other words, we
should not fritter away our precious time in
unproductive and trivial activities. It has been wisely
said that time does not come with buy-back facility.
Like an arrow once gone it never comes back. God
may have made several other discriminations
amongst different human beings. However, as far as
issue of allotment of time is concerned, He has
remained totally neutral. He has granted the same 24
hours to everyone on this earth right from the
poorest man to the richest person. The significance
of the time has also been explained beautifully in the
following small poem:-

To realise the value of 1 year
Ask a student who has failed in his exam;
To realise the value of 1 month
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby;
To realise the value of 1 week
Ask an editor of a weekly magazine;
To realise the value of 1 day
Ask a daily wage earner;
To realise the value of 1 hour
Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet;
To realise the value of 1 minute
Ask a person who has missed the train;
To realise the value of 1 second
Ask an athlete who has won the second prize.
Judicious Time Management helps us in
becoming punctual which in turn make us
efficient and skilled. It shows respect to
others time as well. It also give us more time
to us to think and act. Napoleon
Bonaparte(Emperor of France)once said that
the greatest secret of his success was his
absolute mastery of time. Mahatma Gandhi
(Father of our Nation)also observed
punctuality meticulously.

If we reach our schools, colleges, offices etc
early, the interval can be profitably spent in
arranging our thoughts, socialising with
others and finally sitting quietly for a few
minutes to get our breadth and compose
ourselves to start the work calmly.
If the appointed time for doing and finishing
things is gone, it only brings a feeling of guilt
in us. Hence it is essential for all of us to plan
and spend our time wisely.
Conclusion
If we want to achieve and maintain success in
any sphere of life we should keep in mind all
the above essentials. Eventually, I would like
to quote the following inspiring lines of
famous English poet Longfellow:-
The Heights achieved and kept by great men
were not achieved by sudden flight,
They, while their companions slept, were
toiling upwards in the night.---RAJ JAGGI