ARE YOU SUCCESSFUL?

A deep introspection.

I am successful.

I want to be successful.

We have all heard buzz sentences like these several times over. On the one hand, there are a set of people who are excited to declare that they are successful, while on the other, is a set of people who vehemently want to be successful.

But what does success mean?

What does being successful entail? What does it look like?

In the book “The Millionaire Fastlane“ by MJ DeMarco, he articulates that the importance of defining success for oneself is salient.

Does being successful mean having a lot of money?

Does it mean having the freedom to have what you want, when you want?

Does it mean solving a problem that makes life better for other people, even if that means not getting a lot of financial benefit?

Does it mean sleepless nights and stressful days?

Id your definition of success an extract of what the rest of the world defines as success? Did you formulate it yourself?

What does it mean?

Start by defining what Success means for you

I have this saying, which may not be very monumental, but it goes thus “nothing means anything unless you make it“. If you do not give a name to something, someone else will.

If you do not give a definitive identity to something, especially something as salient as life success, someone else will.

In our hyperconnected world, it is easy to get tempted into constantly comparing the bloopers of our lives with the highlights of other peoples’. It then becomes extremely tempting to feel unmotivated to engage in the day to day otherwise mundane tasks that eventually build true success in the long run.

MJ DeMarco, in his book The Millionaire Fastlane lists the elements that would constitute success for him. On the top of the list is Health. This is irrefutable.

What are you willing to sacrifice?

It is always the case that nothing truly good happens by chance. No sustainable success comes by chance, or luck.

Success, whatever that means, is therefore a byproduct of intentional sacrifice. Putting off pleasure in the present in hopes of compounding and receiving it in the future. For you, it may be sacrificing partying all weekend to work on your business. In so doing, you are bargaining with nature, giving something now in hopes of receiving something better in the future.

If no sacrifice is made, life does not get better. One of the greatest books evert written states that “For without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins“.

What does success mean to me.

For me, success means being able to deliver more value than I consume.

Being able to give more than I take.

I definitely want to take a lot. But I cannot take that much if I cannot give that much. Life is an exchange of value. The more you can give, the more you can take.

In October 2022 my team and I organized a two-day hybrid event, dubbed the Exponential Youth Summit, which brought together more than 120 young people from the town of Bamenda, Douala, Yaoundé, Buea, and Limbe. Convening speakers from the US, UK and South Africa and Kenya, we walked participants through concepts of Youth Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Personal and Career Development.

As a youth leader, my mission is to empower young people.

If you are not clear on what success means to you, I would like to talk with you in a one-on-one session.

Talk to me here

I had a conversation with my Kenyan friend and colleague Wachira Wambui about youth leadership on my YouTube Channel. Watch it here.

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Cheers!