Hello Fellow Humanoids, today’s episode #039 is titled – THE REALITY OF SUCCESS. In this episode, we will discuss the REALITY of SUCCESS and its dark side.
We all strive for the gratification that comes with achieving success in life. For me, I get a natural high from the simplest tasks to the biggest wins—everything! I am achievement and success orientated in every aspect of my life.
But, there are the not-so-glamorous aspects as well. The truths about achieving success are quite similar. I’ve spent some time on this in the past — there is always the other side, the dark side.
Here is a short introduction to the truth of success:
- Success needs and wants more of your time… ALWAYS. You have to make sacrifices to spend more time working toward goals. It’s just what you have to do to be successful, there is no other way.
- Life isn’t a reality show, and social media doesn’t show the grind behind the scenes. Trust me, it is a grind and it’s not a day, week or month or year. It lasts decades.
- Envy is not success related. Its Goal related. Then you work your ass off toward those goals. Your goals. Your passions. Your life.
- The process is never done. I am still getting up at 430 am every day, making cold calls and closing deals 20+ years later in my business. Why? That is what it takes to be successful.
Don’t get me wrong…I want success and I work towards success every day. You should too. Just be warned – there is a steep price to pay.
These are the realities of success that everyone should know.
1. People always say they would give their life to do “X”.
Well, prepare for sleepless nights, frustration, failures and pain, because that is what it takes to be considered the best. You don’t become a leader in anything without sacrifice. You may have to give up time with family, not go out with your friends, take fewer vacations, so whatever you pursue, make sure that it’s worth the sacrifice. It requires complete focus and dedication to the process and trust me there is nothing sexy about it.
2. Don’t believe what you see on Social Media.
It may seem like most celebrities and successful people spend most of their time going to glamorous events and destinations flying first-class or private jet. However, that’s not always the case. A majority of time is spent in meetings, working, or in transit. Also, consider the time it takes for them to look red-carpet ready. It may take five or more hours to prepare for a two-hour event. For every gorgeous, incredible photo posted, there are a hundred others that aren’t at all remarkable.
3. Problems become bigger.
You may deal with the stress of supporting yourself and/or your family now, but imagine running a company that supports 10, 100, 500 or 5,000 families? When your decisions impact people and how they live, it isn’t a responsibility to be taken lightly. As they say, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” Success comes with more responsibility and even bigger problems to solve. I have often felt like the character Atlas in Greek mythology who was responsible for holding up the weight of heavens on his shoulder as a punishment by Zeus. You must become accustomed to the weight of the responsibility placed upon you by your success and not run or try to hide from it.
4. Beware of the hater.
Do not think that just because you have accomplished something extraordinary, people are going to appreciate it or understand the effort it took. This lack of admiration and recognition teaches you two important lessons:
- Whatever you pursue, you have to do it for internal reasons.
- Those who want to take you down will be the loudest.
What is even scarier, is the haters often can be those closest to you from your friends to your immediate family.
But, also be aware of your own behavior. If you constantly criticize other people for their accomplishments, it hurts your own chances of success. Learn how to appreciate and applaud people for all their achievements, regardless if you like their work or believe that they deserve it. Trust me, the law of positive attraction really does work when you use it in a positive manner.
5. The highs are higher; the lows are lower.
When you win a new client, industry award or close a big deal, it feels like you are on top of the world, but this also means that you have farther to fall. When all eyes are on you, there’s more to lose in terms of status, reputation, and future success. As a result, you have to toughen yourself up for when things get rough because all hell will break loose when you least expect it. If you have to get tougher, then you get tougher. And you always have to remember; you are one failure away from success.
6. Money isn’t everything.
A robust bank account will only increase your happiness to a certain level. Once you earn enough to provide food and shelter without concern, money doesn’t have a significant impact on happiness (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). I believed money was everything for me when I first started my company but realized soon that wasn’t the case. One of the great quotes that my Mom gave me was “Son, remember when you are on your death bed, you are not going to be asking to wear your Rolex
Successful people face as many or more struggles as everyone else, and wealth and prestige don’t guarantee happiness, so why do they do what they do? They aren’t in it for fame or money. They are tackling problems that they care about deeply and that drive them to keep going every day.
When you do success the right way, you evolve in all aspects of your life. As I like to say, you become a good human.
7. Success can breed complacency.
Success has a sneaky way of leading you to believe you don’t have to work as hard anymore as you once had to get here. When you become accustomed to year after year success, complacency can set in and cause you to lose the edge like Rocky did with Mr. T and fall a long way to the bottom.
I leave you with a simple quote: ”Success is not for the faint of heart”
