Success?

It is in my genetic make-up to try and be the best at everything I do. I very rarely succeed at truly becoming great at something but I will die trying. There have been times in my life when that drive has blinded me from various paths that I may have taken. This desire has caused me great joy, but it has also brought pain and sadness. I have seen amazing sights on this journey but I have also spent many a night gripped in the arms of darkness. It seems as if success can be as painful as it can be exciting.

Is it possible to be truly successful?

What is success to you? There are a myriad of different scenarios in which one can portray themselves as successful. For some it is the acquiring of material wealth, for others it is the raising of a family. Some people view success in the beauty of living, while a select few look at success through the eyes of death. Sometimes people may feel successful in one thing but then failures in another. A corner office position is successful, but that child support check signals failure. The unemployment line brings you down, but the smiling baby waiting at home is what makes you live. The track marks on your arm speak of past defeats but the spouse sleeping next to you brings a sparkle to your eye.

Defeat can be the catalyst for success.

Success can be the cause of defeat.

Have you ever sat in your room and just cried? Have you ever taken an inventory of your life and wondered what happened? Have you ever looked up into the heavens and wondered what to do next?

We are driven by our society to be successful. If we don't have the right jobs, possessions, homes than we are told that our lives don't amount to much. We are asked what our next step is going to be? How will we capitalize on the next big venture? Are we going to risk it all or play it safe? How are we going to succeed in the life that we have been given?

So we look around at the life we live and start to categorize everything.

Car: Not big enough

House: Wrong neighborhood

Friends: Not popular enough

Children: Not smart enough

We disregard those things that we do have and longingly look across the street wondering how to acquire their life. Our children tug at our pants and we gently move them away while peering through the curtains at the people we would like to be. Life swirls around us and we just sit wondering how we will make it to the top.

What if success was not measured by the material, but by the emotional output? What if we were able to determine the quality of someones life based on the amount of people they helped? Rather than looking across the street and wondering how to acquire the wealth of our neighbors, what if we tried to figure out a way to better their lives. What if that list that we made changed?

Car: Does someone need a ride?

House: Who needs shelter?

Friends: How can I help?

Children: I love you. No matter what.

The thing that many of us forget is that we all tend to spend our time staring out the windows of our lives at each other. It is the old adage, "the grass is always greener on the other side". The fact is that the grass may look green but without nutrients it will end up dying. The nutrients don't reside in the silver paint of the latest vehicle, but in the gifts of our Father. Use the gifts that are given to you and watch for those in need.......it is in the moment of giving that true success can be found.

Stop staring at each other.....walk across the street and lend a hand.