Since completing my medical internship year, I’ve increasingly become occupied with trying to define, for myself, what success means.
In a world where there are so many attractions, one sees different shades of what success seems to be almost daily. As much as we like to say success isn’t equivalent to making money, the world over, money seems to be a unifying factor among all notable success stories. A common definition of success has to do with fame and wealth, with little regard of how it is gotten, and at what cost. However, I personally don’t think it is wise for anyone to tie their definition of success to money, seeing as in a way, that can be a bit out of one’s control (an investment can crash among many other things).
Coming from that angle, it almost seems like I am saying money is not important and that is far from the truth because it is. What I am pointing out here is that we should have a purpose beyond simply making money. Life is way more fulfilling if you are on a path truly aligns with your purpose. I believe being the best at what you are naturally good at should define success. The quote about a fish climbing a tree comes to mind – the fish will never be successful because it is out of its natural habitat.
I guess the question now will be ‘how do you find your purpose?’ I wish I had an answer to that, but I don’t. What I do know is that, for most of us, we know when we are on a path that doesn’t resonate with the inner desires of our souls. Yet we stay on that path because of various factors, chief of which is fear. It’s really not easy ‘chasing purpose’ when you have some other responsibilities but if we can, we will realise that doing just that might just give that peace of mind that most of us desire greatly.
Without any doubt, I know I would find myself coming back to read this post again and again, more so over the next few months/years. Because this isn’t something you realise and act on regardless. It’s something that, even though we know it to be true, we might find ourselves constantly doubting and wondering. And that’s fine, as long as we always find the strength to carry on. It’s so easy to lose focus of our own journey and see the wins of others, thinking that’s what our own win will look like too. But most times, it’s completely different. Refocusing our minds on our own journey is a continuous battle we can always win, as long as we have the right mindset.
This isn’t to dictate what success should look like to you or anyone. If anything, it’s to open your minds and enable you to break free from whatever construct of success the world might have fed you that doesn’t resonate with who you are. Just before publishing this post, I came across an article by Dr Anderson Uvie-Emegbo on his reason for leaving medicine to pursue what he felt was his purpose. I believe it is a good read and probably gives life to all I have tried to explain in this post. you can read it here.
So what does success mean to you? Have you ever really thought about it? Spend some time reflecting and defining it for yourself. It’s not enough to just reply here in the comments, do this for you. Get a journal and pen, or the notes app of your phone and write down your definition. Write down your vision and what you want your own success story to look like, what you want to achieve and let this guide you in your decisions as you go on in life.
'Let each man pass his days in that wherein his skill is greatest.' - Sextus Propertius Share on XP.S: Something light for the road – Listen to Fireboy DML’s Wait and see here.
Wishing you success always,
Sisikunmi.
