SUCCESS: Expectation VS Reality

Imagine this… you are sitting in your bungalow, applying the finishing touches to your make up. Just then, you hear your servant informing you that your transport for the night – a 5 series BMW has pulled up in front of the gate. You quickly put on your 6 inch pumps and dash out the front door to the extremely important business event you have been invited to.

What is the first thing that came to your mind when you read the above scenario? A life of luxury? Or maybe happiness? Some would even take it as success. Very well… now think of this:

You have almost finished your 5^th can of Sprite with less than 30 seconds left while your friends are cheering for you, amazed at your ability to finish 5 drinks in 2 minutes… and just before the timer runs out, you won the dare.

What would you make of that? Teenage fun? Thug life? Maybe even, success? Wait what? That doesn’t sound right does it? Well the truth is, it is completely right.

Whenever people think about success, they might think about money, living a life of luxury, maybe even receiving a prestigious award or title. Basically, something like scenario 1. However, when they are faced with scenario 2, it is less likely that people call that a success. When in reality, that is also a kind of success.

You see, success is all about achieving that one goal that you wanted. Maybe it is that childhood dream of yours- getting your degree or dream job- or maybe it is something you didn’t see coming, like a contest in which you won. Or a business deal you sealed.  However, it is not important that success always comes as an award or certificate.

What would you say if I asked you if you wanted to be happy? Yes, obviously. But you wouldn’t say that if I asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up. This is because, even though we don’t always realize it, we do want to be happy as and when we grow.  So in a sense, you could say that success would also mean being happy. And wouldn’t you be happy while cheering your kids during their football match, or sitting at a coffee shop and discussing the latest trends with your friends? We do that every day don’t we? We get happy everyday don’t we? So in a way, we get successful every day don’t we?

It is not wrong when people say and expect that success is getting those grades or living a luxurious life. But in reality, there is another kind of success achieved everyday, one where we are successfully enjoying our lives, for that is a success story in itself isn’t it?

Of course, the stories don’t always have a pretty start. From Oliver Twist to Akshay Kumar, they all had to work hard to get their happily ever after.

You see, success is not just a 7 letter word. Everyone knows that you must work hard with determination and focus to be recognized and appreciated for your work. At least, that is what is expected.  But many a times, you may not be successful the first, or even the tenth time.

Many great artists didn’t get famous until they died. But that doesn’t mean that Emily Dickinson or Vincent Van Gogh aren’t successful even though they didn’t strike gold when they lived.

Success takes a lot of focus and work along with determination. Yet, it is difficult to apply when you indulge in work you are not excited about. For example, Sachin Tendulkar is famous because of his cricketing skills, which he developed with excitement for the sport. But if he had indulged in say, cooking or writing, the outcome may have been different.

Thus, the reality is that success cannot be forced, but merely achieved through focus with a passion for the work.