Success Consciousness

Success is something everyone wants. I mean seriously, can you think of anyone that if asked, would say, “Nah…I really don’t want to be successful. I like to feel like I’m stuck in mediocre hell.” But many of us that pursue success don’t always feel very successful.

Success is usually defined as a measurement of wealth, status or favorability and is most commonly related to a specific goal within our career or family. We typically relate our actions to our results and then measure success by how well in our mind (or society, boss, spouse), we achieved our goals. These measurements can be huge or tiny. Are we successful in a life goal? Or, are we successful with our goal of driving to work with flipping someone off? Sometimes our smaller successes get lost in the disappointments of not having achieved our higher ones. But small or large, if we aren’t pointing our target to success in the right direction, all of our achievements will have a very short life span of satisfaction. This constant struggle to continue reaching and getting the next level of success can create frustration, anxiety and possibly even depression.

It is quite customary to assume that success for most people means taking the next step in the ladder of pay and status in our current roles. But I think we are looking at success all wrong, even though I do not discount the merit in using the traditional hierarchical model for goal setting if it meets one major prerequisite. Does my definition of success include conscious actions/goals that align to my passions? If your answer is yes, getting the promotion in my current role does, in fact, meet my passion, then good for you. You are one of the lucky few. Many seek “success” for external gratifications, such as more money or status, which will always keep us seeking. There is nothing wrong with money or status, but having these types of external goals as our reason to count ourselves successful, will never quench our thirst for success or fulfillment.

The bottom line is: You can create all the goals, tactical/strategic plans and intentions toward success that you want, but if your passion is not behind them, they will never fulfill you. What you do towards success has to make your heart sing, your spirit fly and bring contentment to your soul. Otherwise, your achievements are just treading success water, only you’re making a bigger splash than you were before.

Practically speaking, you may have to go for the next promotion in your current job until your bigger more authentic goal can be achieved. This could be one strategy to get you where you need to ultimately go, but taking a step towards your true success by understanding, articulating and pursuing your passion, is the only way to reach the kind of success that is felt by you in a lasting and meaningful way.

I reject the idea that we may not know our passion because we don’t have enough experience, or we are too young, or we just don’t have one at all.Passion (or you could also substitute passion for purpose), is innate and unique for each one of us. Our passion may expand or shift to a slightly different direction based on our experiences, but the deep down authentic passion for what we are and what we can contribute is always available if we take a good look.

Here are a couple of tips to develop a passionate success consciousness to achieve the kind of success that will thrill you from stem to stern (mind, body & soul.)

• If you are not sure what your passion is, consider a couple of thought provoking questions to stimulate that already existing passion right out of you. Everyone has it, everyone! So, if you can’t put your finger on it, think about this:

If I had all the money in the world and money or time was not an issue, what would I do forfree to fill my days? (No inactive tasks allowed, like sleep or TV watching, come onguys……..)

What is one thing about me that people notice or feel is my strength?

Who is someone you admire greatly and why do you admire them. What qualities or skills do they have?

What is something that you’ve done in your life, even as a child, that you remember as a huge success for you? What is about it that moved you?

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what is the one thing that you would share or teach to others?

What have you secretly dreamed of doing or being?

What is a topic, activity, or purpose that you would drop what you are doing to pay attention to?

• Contemplate deeply, using your favorite method of contemplation, what you see yourself doing to fulfill your passion. Consider your propensity towards certain things and how your current skills complement your potential passion. If you have a passion for basketball and sports, you probably wouldn't find your passion being a basketball player if you’re short. But you might find it in another sport that suits you, like soccer. Or maybe pursuing sports as a coach or an analyst would thrill you? Think about what skills or knowledge you would need to pursue your passion? Would doing what it takes to get additional skills or knowledge be exciting to you or a burden? If the path doesn't seem as exciting as the goal, then you may not have found your passion. Your intuitive nature will guide you during contemplation towards copacetic fits based on your authentic nature. Listen to yourself.

• Consider the multiple ways that you can demonstrate your passion/purpose. Just because you LOVE movies doesn't necessarily mean your passion is to be a movie star. There are hundreds of paths to take to fulfill this passion and one of them is perfect for you. Think about the various elements or aspects of your passion and consider which path speaks loudly to you.
• Revise all your success and life goals to include pursuit of your passion, even the goal is just to learn more about it or only spending ½ hour a day towards it. Begin to include your passion into your life every day. The more you do, the more opportunities will arise that include your passion.

Developing a success consciousness is defining your success and basing your intentions on doing what you love. Why we continue to build elaborate plans towards success to reach the next level of doing what we aren't passionate about is a mystery to me - now. But guilty as charged – I spent most of my adult life doing just that. If I could help even one person take the time now, instead of years later, to get in touch with their purpose and passion and to live a more enriched and gratifying life, I would be so happy, (and happy for them too). Don’t give away any more of your precious time and energy to goals that only meet your needs part way. Develop a true success consciousness today and start living your life by design, not by default.

To help get your really pumped so that you will get right up and get your pad a paper and start defining your new goals and strategies for success right now, I have included an adrenaline pumping video that I love for your enjoyment. I just watched it, again, and I am buzzing!

Blessings – Joleen

Joleen Halloran is the author of Finding Home - Breaking Free from Limits under the pseudo name of Joleen Bridges. This book represents over 10 years of research and inspiration in personal and spiritual empowerment and provides readers with a pathway to overcome limits and discover authentic divine qualities in their lives and to live a life of unbounded freedom. .

Beyond Joleen's professional life, she is an avid reader and researcher of books and other materials related to her profession, but also to her special passion, which is metaphysical and spirituality topics. You can find out more about Joleen's book at her books website, www.breakingfreefromlimits.com. Additional articles of a spiritual and inspirational nature can be found at the book's website as well. The book is available for purchase at Amazon and at a discounted price directly from the books website.