The journey from success to significance

The journey from success to significance

Tim Connor

Significance - the quality of having importance or being regarded as having great meaning.  Does this help? Not for me.  My take – taking success to a much higher level where your actions, behavior, attitudes and beliefs have a lasting positive effect and impact on others and the world as your life journey unfolds.

Success – over the years I have read hundreds of definitions of success, I have even developed my own, but with some recent evaluation and study I have come to the conclusion that success can’t be described or defined.  Let me explain as I am sure you will take issue with this statement.

Success is many things to many different types of people. Differentiating between a parent that raises a successful child and a CEO who runs a huge conglomerate is a different issue, however success for one can mean something totally different for another.  So, whose definition is right or relevant?  As an author I have written over 80 books and some authors have only written one and have made more money than me and are more well known, but how we each define success can be different.

If I have helped just one person with my writing how is that not being as successful as a someone who has made millions on book sales?  Well, if you choose to define success with money only they are and I am not, however if you chose to define it based on service - is it possible that even though I have helped only a few people am I not as successful?  Again it depends on how you choose to define success. Ask one thousand people to define success (and I have many times during my presentations) and you will get hundreds of different answers.  So, who is right?  Or better still - is a different definition wrong.  See where I am heading here?

Therefore, if you only choose to define success based on set goals and their accomplishments - what if you did something better (that wasn’t a goal) as you headed towards your goals or objectives?  Most people in life don’t set goals and yet many of them accomplish a great deal.  Many people work for years trying to achieve a goal and always fall short.  I have been the recipient of both outcomes.  Yes, goals are a helpful and valuable life strategy, but they are not always a requirement for ultimate success as each of us chooses to define or describe it.

Success is not just doing something better, something more or achieving anything.  What if you achieved a financial goal, but found yourself with less contentment, inner peace or even destroyed relationships in the process.  Were you a success?

I could go on with other examples, but I am sure you are either buying into this by now or you are not and if you are not there is most likely nothing more I can say to change your mind.

So how does one take the journey from success to significance?

There have been many significant people who have walked the earth during the past two thousand years.  I won’t give you a list, but mention a few categories.

Who can you think of that achieved significance (and I’m not talking here about fame, power or wealth) in;

Business.

Education.

Sports.

Religion.

Science.

Medicine.

The arts.

Technology.

Entertainment.

See if you can come up with at least one person in each category and then ask yourself – what made them significant?

I’ll bet each of them;

-Made a positive difference in the world.

-Devoted their lives to something bigger than their chosen field.

-Were not interested in nor did they pursue fame or fortune.

-Left (if they have passed on) a positive legacy that will last for many years.

-Were passionate about their chosen field.

-Never let ego or arrogance rule their actions, behavior or decisions.

-Made you wish you could have known them personally.

Where are you on the journey from success to significance?  Stuck in the superficial traits of this lifestyle? Leaving success behind as you travel to the higher ground of significance?  Or somewhere in between.

“The key to success is for you to make a habit throughout your life of doing the things you fear."

Vincent Van Gogh