Success

I exhibited at another craft fair at the weekend and sold my first 2 paintings. I am so pleased because it means that my work is appreciated by people other than family and I had never actually sold one of my paintings before as they had always been given to family and friends.

This ‘success’ has given me a renewed motivation, not due to any financial motivation but through a sense of achievement and satisfaction. I achieved my aims and so this enabled me to feel good about myself. 

So what is ‘success’? Do we strive to achieve according to the rules and expectations of society or do we strive to achieve according to our own ideals? In other words, are we driven by a sense of personal control or are we controlled by an unseen driving force that we have to meet, in order to retain our stature in society?

Does it matter? Yes I think it does. 

If I look back on the true successes in my life, they are not the qualifications I gained or the advances I made in my employment, they are the personal achievements. Those achievements that helped to increase my confidence and self esteem. The successes that come from within, these are the ones that last a lifetime, that have a more dramatic effect on the psyche.

Sounds quite profound but break it down into the small parts and my successes have been those that have continued to have a positive cause and effect in my life.  Other people may or may not acknowledge my events as successful and quite right, because any success is only a success if it is relevant and beneficial to the individual. 

My own personal successes are those that include being a good role model, an ability to understand, completing tasks, sharing and relinquishing control to a higher power.  How do I measure my own personal success?  Success for me is when I see a smile on my own face or on the faces of others. 

Eureka!!