Success; it's a journey!

“Success; it’s a journey not a destination!”

These were the powerful words coming from the mouth of a 16 year old; an unknown teenager being interviewed for a documentary about life.  Her complete statement was:

“Success; it’s a journey not a destination! And the journey is far more important than the destination!”

If ever anyone knew exactly how to sum up success is this teenager.  For over 20 years I searched for my success.  Never, did I look at it this way.  Never, did I conceive the notion that success is a journey.  That it’s a road, a path one must follow.  And just like that road which is winding, uphill, downhill and has potholes here and there, so flows success.

More importantly, the character one develops while walking that road to success is ultimately far more important than the level of success one achieves.  All too often you hear or read about people who reached an enormous amount of success but lost their soul in the process.

Tiger woods, arguably the greatest golf player around and who by most people standards would be considered to be super successful revealed that what seems to be a life of envy to the outside world is actually not as fulfilling as one would think.  

The last tournament he played and won, he had this to say with tears in his eyes: “I am delighted to win but how I wish I could share this victory with my dad.  How I would like it for him to be here.  I wanted so much to give this to him!”

For Tiger Woods, his dad’s passing had definitely given new meaning to what he considers to be complete success.  The void of sharing with a loved one leaves him with an empty and lonely feeling.  And so his road to success which once appeared to be completed now begins again – Tiger Woods is now seeking emotional success.

Indeed, it’s the journey of success that is far more important than success itself.  We have all heard or read about people that are extremely successful, yet would give it all up in an instant if only they could get true love, or companionship or not being lonely.   The list is endless.

Too many people spend their time and energy trying to create financial success.  In the process they loose sight of other factors equally as important to the contribution of complete success.  That’s why a lot of financially successful people don’t consider themselves as being successful because they lack emotional and quite often spiritual success.

Being able to acquire a perfect balance of financial, emotional, physical and spiritual success is creating true success.  And more often than not, people who are truly successful in life will tell you that financial success is the least important.