Success 9/24/04

The True Meaning of Success

S.I. Hayakawa said, “People who like to think of themselves as tough-minded and realistic tend to take it for granted that human nature is “selfish” and that life is a struggle in which only the fittest may survive. According to this view, the basic law by which people must live is the law of the jungle. The “fittest” are those people who can bring to the struggle superior force, superior cunning, and superior ruthlessness.” Based on this thought, do people have to be highly competitive to succeed? I don’t believe that people have to live by the law of the jungle in order to succeed. My standpoint is in how you view the word “succeed” or “success”.

Does one have to be rich and famous and selfish in order to be considered successful in today’s world? To most people, the answer would be “yes”. In my opinion, this is not true. I know a woman, who I consider to be very successful in life, but most people do not know her name and won’t see her on the news. Is she less successful than Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Jay Gatsby, or even Julia Roberts? Yes, if you consider notoriety and riches, but she is extremely successful to the people who know and rely upon what she does.

Laura, is not rich by any means, but is rich in the way that is most important; which is love and caring. My friend Laura has lost two sons to Spinal Muscular Atrophy and continues to selflessly immerse herself in the SMA Community. She is considered successful by those of us who spend innumerable hours or just one minute with her. She tirelessly and selflessly devotes her "free time" to making web pages for all those who wish to share their loved ones with the world. She also developed SMA Support website and is there for every family that needs support in any way, shape, or form. She is there emotionally and financially if there is a need for it. She is living out her sons? legacies by supporting anyone who needs help and creating awareness about this devastating condition. Laura doesn't need to compete with other organizations for money or for what she accomplishes, because sometimes, in order to be successful, one doesn't need to compete. Success can be measured not by competitiveness and who you hurt in the process but by whom you helped in the long run.

You wouldn't know by looking at Laura, how successful she really is. She doesn't have a fancy car or live in a huge mansion, but is successful in the amount of time, energy, and love she pours into her endeavors. To me, that is the greatest measure of success. If you can look back on your life and say, "I helped someone!" or "I made a difference in someone's life!" then you are successful and it was completed without force, a cunning attitude or being ruthless.