SUCCESS and FAILURE

by Eoin Scolard

“If you can meet with success and failure,
And treat those two impostors just the same” 

Rudyard Kipling

When we think about success we also think about failure. That’s the way we operate sometimes – we tend to think in absolutes, in black and white. Yet in between black and white is a whole range of beautiful colours – oranges, greens, reds and blues just to start with. Add in pink, magenta, turquoise, indigo, yellow and we begin to see that life isn’t just black and white. Success and failure are like two ends of a beautiful rainbow too. Our lives are a rich tapestry of wonderful colours, but it’s not enough, is it? We want more, we want something else - what we have is never enough. We want success, or, to be more accurate, we want the idea of success.

But whose idea is it? Is it someone else’s view of success? Is it society’s view, the media’s view or perhaps a cultural view? Have you ever actually thought about what your idea of success is? In other words, is it really yours, this view of success? I have worked with so many people who say “I wish I had more time” yet they have never included free time in their view of success. Others have said “I wish I had less stress at work” and yet they have never made the conscious decision to question why they continue to do what they do.

So what’s driving YOU? Are you still caught in the trap of comparing yourself to others? Would you rather have a SUCCESSFUL career or a JOYFUL career?

Imagine if your “work” became a joy – would that mean REAL success for you? Imagine if today you decided that the real measure of your success each day was the amount of JOY you created for YOURSELF and for OTHERS. Would that be a better barometer of how successful you are? And wouldn’t reaching for JOY be easier on you, much easier. Could you look at everything with this question in mind always – “when I do this ( whatever it is ) does it give me JOY?” Maybe then your internal struggle would end, because so many of us struggle, wanting to BE SUCCESSFUL or TO NOT BE A FAILURE.

Ultimately everybody’s ideas of success are based on the idea that “If I have this, then I’ll be happy”  For example - “if I have the €75k p.a. job, then I’ll be happy”. But I know several people who could be defined as successful by what they “have”, and yet they are still deeply unhappy. Nothing has changed on the inside. Is that success?

Maybe the key is to do things that help you to get happy now, and NOT to do things that don’t bring you JOY. For me I have had to redefine what success means to me – and when you take the time to do that, it opens your eyes. Here’s a few I came up with - “I know I am successful when” -

“I treat my body well.”

“I feel relaxed healthy and energised in equal measure.”

“There is purpose and passion in my life.”

Try it. Draw up your own success statement and then monitor everything you do in the light of that statement. You may surprise yourself !

Eoin is running a monthly series of 'How To' seminars called Positive Tools for Life one of which is called HOW TO MANIFEST SUCCESS FOR YOURSELF.  For full information and to book your place, click here.

Eoin is available for 1-1 Conscious Energy Transformation sessions.  To view his availability and to book your session with him in Co Down, click here.  For 1-1 sessions in Dublin, please email info@irishschooloflife.com.

Eoin is facilitating a full day workshop on CONSCIOUS ENERGY TRANSFORMATION on Sunday 20 November and a full day on THE POWER OF NOW on Saturday 26 November.  Click the event title for information and bookings.