What does success look like?

Success comes in many different forms so to have certain criteria, expectations, or requirements for success (x amount of dollars in the bank, one job position acquisition in particular, amount of vacations taken every year, etc.) limits the amount of satisfaction, fulfillment, and confidence you can experience in your lifetime. 

Success is not always defined by what we achieve or how “big” the achievement is. It can also be measured in how we go about tasks or life, how we manage ourselves, the outlooks we are able to keep despite uphill battles we face, and how we treat others as well as ourselves — to name a few. 

What about when you got up and worked out even though you were tired and had to fight every ounce of resistant in your body to do so?

What about that plant you got that you kept alive longer than any other plant? The dog you adopted who has a loving home because of you. The friends who treasure your company. The family members who would struggle without all of your extraordinary efforts. That time you lost out on the job position but kept your head held high in search for another. When someone broke your heart but you didn’t lose faith in love. Getting up in the morning on your worst of days simply to face the world and carry on.

These everyday pieces of life are parts of the puzzle that is being “successful”.

When you are able to start measuring success in life in that way — by recognizing all of the things you have done or do when you did not have to do them at all or even in the way you carried yourself  — you can feel the feelings associated with success on a much more regular basis and shift your “I haven’t done this” attitude to “but look what I have done”. 

We, as humans, are not measured by numbers — by growth in sales or clients or how many awards we have hanging on the wall. Perseverance, dedication, honor, effort and hope — these are the true markers of success in life. You don’t have to discard your previous goals or markers of success to implement new ones that encourage you on a daily basis. 

So whether you got through a tough day at work with a smile on your face at the end of it, let your angry neighbor’s attitude roll off your back, or finally did the pile of laundry you didn’t have the drive to do before — start taking note of all your successes, big or small, so that you can fully appreciate and value yourself no matter where you are in life. We tend to value ourselves less than we should, but by giving credit to ourselves for every achievement, we recognize our value and worth far more requently and truly. You are succesful. It's up to you to take note in all the ways!

With Gratitude,

The EMPA Team