I have been challenged recently with the question "How do you measure success?". Do you measure your success by your grades or your GPA? Do you measure your success by how much you are known by other people? Do you measure your success by how many clubs and teams you are involved in?
Its something I still haven't come to any sort of conclusion on. But its been interesting while I have been considering it. I have definitely come across some truths which I want to live by.
A) I dont have anyone else to please but God
I am a typical people pleaser and honestly I can stress out about it so much. I just want to make everyone happy, but you know what? It never works. You cannot do it. You cannot make everyone happy. It got to the point where I felt under so much stress to make sure I didn't disappoint anyone. It was showing a physical strain on me. But then I realized that I am not called to make everyone happy. I never was. I am just called to please God and to follow Him. That was a major stress taken off my shoulders right there and I can honestly say it makes my days so much easier.
B) Stop comparing yourself to everyone else, instead just try to be a better person than you were yesterday
It's way too easy to compare ourselves to other people. Wondering why we aren't as smart as some people, as attractive as some people, as well known as some people, it can really get us down. We wonder how come we dont have it altogether as some people do. Some people just seem to have it set dont they? The perfect husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend, all the friends, the picture perfect life, but in my experience the people who we think have it altogether, really dont. We can never compare people. We are just all too different. We start out in different places, with different people, different influences and different circumstances. We all end up in different places for different reasons. Instead I want to compare myself to two people and only two. I want to live a life which reflects Jesus and who He is and I never want to stray from that example. I'll never make it to His level, fact, but you know what? that doesn't mean I don't try. The second person? Myself. I just want to wake up every morning and be a better person than I was the day before.
This last year I can honestly tell you I have learned a lot. I have learned alot about God, about people and about myself. I've made mistakes, more than I can count but I would never take any of them back because I can type this with the knowledge which those mistakes brought me. How do I measure success? By the amount of times I get up after I fall and the knowledge I gain from it. Success for me is not a destination, its most definitely a constant journey, a journey of improvement, of trial and error and constant learning. I have no idea where my life is headed by I know I will consider myself successful when i can look back on my life, and b able to say that I seized every opportunity, that I made the most of every moment, chased every dream, followed the God I love and never lost sight of who I am.
But again I ask, How do you measure success in your life?
I woud like to get some other insights, honestly, shoot us an email vikki.smyth@ccuniversity.edu
No comments:
Post a Comment