Are you sure that the meaning of your life is the meaning God intends for it? Does God impose a meaning on your life from the outside, through event, custom, routine, law, system, impact with others in society? Or you are called to create from within, with him, with his grace, a meaning which reflects his truth and makes you his “word” spoken freely in your personal situation?
Have you heard about the life of successful personalities, such as Oprah Winfrey and more famous and successful like Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison? Most people know Oprah as one of the most iconic faces on TV as well as one of the richest and most successful women in the world. Oprah faced a hard road to get to that position, however, enduring a rough and often abusive childhood as well as numerous career setbacks including being fired from her job as a television reporter because she was “unfit for TV.” In her childhood, she was repeatedly molested by her cousin, uncle and a family friend. She eventually ran away from home, and at age 14 gave birth to a baby boy who shortly died after. But Winfrey’s tragic past didn’t stop her from becoming the force she is today. She excelled as an honors student in high school, and won an oratory contest which secured her a full scholarship to college. Now the entrepreneur and personality has the admiration of millions and a net worth of $2.9 billion.
Oprah Winfrey says, “You will find true success and happiness if you have only one goal. There really is only one, and that is this: To fulfill the highest, most truthful expression of yourself as a human being. You want to max out your humanity by using your energy to lift yourself up, your family, and the people around you. Theologian Howard Thurman said it best. He said, ‘Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.’”
Not everyone who’s on top today got there with success after success. More often than not, those who history best remembers were faced with numerous obstacles that forced them to work harder and show more determination than others.
Most of us take Albert Einstein’s name as synonymous with genius, but he didn’t always show such promise. Einstein did not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven, causing his teachers and parents to think he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social. Eventually, he was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. It might have taken him a bit longer, but most people would agree that he caught on pretty well in the end, winning the Nobel Prize and changing the face of modern physics. Einstein states, “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”
It is generally advised for those who seek success in their life that the first and the most important step one is supposed to do is to find his/her own dream. It seems vital and the most important factor in their life. One’s goal at this stage is to sit down quietly and try to listen to themselves. They are recommended to listen to their heart. And answer the question: “What I want from my life?”
Unfortunately, many people have the tendency to compare the low points of their own lives with the high points of others’ lives. It has to be remembered that no matter how perfect somebody’s life may seem, behind closed doors everybody deals with tragedy, insecurity and other difficulties. Hence, rather than comparing yourself with people who are better off than you, think about all of the people who are homeless, chronically ill, or living in poverty. It is believed that this will help you appreciate what you have rather than feeling sorry for yourself.
It is nicely said, “Take risks in life! Success will only come to you if you throw off the fear of failure. Failure is just a little delay in success. Don’t get off track and turn to another path due to failure and don’t think that you are headed in a wrong way due to it. Most people experience failure, but stronger are those who stand up again. These are true successful people.”
Do you know that in his early years, Thomas Edison’s teachers told him he was “too stupid to learn anything.”? Work was no better, as he was fired from his first two jobs for not being productive enough. Even as an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. Of course, all those unsuccessful attempts finally resulted in the design that worked.
Oprah Winfrey further suggests regarding success, “Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.”
Whoever has touched the pinnacle of success recommends us that besides setting a clear goal, one should not be afraid of failure. It is said by psychologists, “A person who fails to plan, plans to fail.” Hence, planning and an iron determination for following the plan and goal are highly instrumental in one’s success.