Redefining Success… Holistically.
We have all been given the following message in one way or the other at some point in our lives, “Success is not about the destination you reach, or how fast you reach it, it’s about the journey.” But what exactly does success mean? Is success confined to one singular definition? What does success mean to us individually, and how is it different from what it means to my neighbor, my parents, my siblings, or even my dog?
Everyone has their own perception of what it means to be successful, be it earning a million dollars, leaving a mark on this world, or simply living each day to its full and maximum potential. I, on the other hand, have a completely different perspective on success. My sincere belief is that success is defined simply in the act of setting milestones and standards for yourself and then going on to achieve them.
A lot of people might agree that one of the most alarming problems in today’s day and age is how much we compare ourselves against the standards set by someone else. This eventually lures us into the never-ending and punishing cycle of trying to achieve their achievements and goals, all just to achieve an outsider’s perception of success. Apart from simply being the incorrect thing to do, we end up dealing with several problems on this path, not the least of which are, a lowering of our morale and the eventual feeling of being trapped. Although, the greatest metaphorical rattrap probably lies in the abject feeling of failure when we don’t measure up.
Albert Einstein’s quote flawlessly describes this situation; “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” There is no point in comparing yourelf to others.
Which brings us to a few big questions, “What should we rather do? How do we attain ‘success’? How do we essentially “innoculate” ourselves against failure?” Through this piece, I want to address and provide my perception of possible answers to the above question.
What is Holistic Success?
Let’s step back for a second and look at the bold words above. Holistic success when broken down is made up of two words. Let’s get the easy one out of the way first. Success. I briefly mentioned it above along with what my perception of the definition of the word is. To resonate with pop culture, it’s the slice of nirvana that everyone wants a bite off.
Now, Holistic. Merriam-Webster defines “holistic” as; relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts. Quite a mouthful right? Well, to put it in simpler words, “holistic” refers to looking at the bigger picture instead of focusing on individual components. So in essence, all “holistic success” really means, is working and developing yourself along with the image you possess of your individual, to achieve the success you desire.
However, I always like to look at things a bit differently. Holistic success, to me, can be summed up in two words; Value Provision. It is the ability to make your direct environment better and more “positive” by providing invaluable inputs, be it to family, friends, or simply other people. Value provision encapsulates everything from the simple act of providing support for people in their times of need to investing yourself wholeheartedly in the community around you and showing others the light at the end of their metaphorical tunnels. Value provision to the community helps us to achieve our goals in different fields of our life. This leads to a well-rounded lifestyle, an integral component of our holistic health and mindset, pushing us to achieve other goals that we have set for ourselves.
How do we achieve Holistic Success?
Onto our next big question, “How does one achieve holistic success?” I once read something that left an impact on me, and I bring it up now to provide some semblance of an answer to the above question. The piece left me with invaluable takeaways and lessons to apply in my everyday lifestyle, and it can be aptly summarized by 4 essential points:
• Step 1: Get to Know Yourself
It’s simple advice that truly works wonders when implemented to its maximum potential. Meeting and familiarizing yourself with your most authentic form are no small feats and this opens us up to one of the most valuable tools in our repertoire, self-evaluation. The criticism that we give ourselves is much greater than any criticism we can receive from the outside world. This process also helps us to get in sync with our true selves. This helps us to take a step back, view the whole picture and set realistic goals that we might want to achieve. Doing this will also help minimize and restrict the number of “red flags” that are part of our daily lives.
• Step 2: Identify how you do what you do best
Simply put, get in flow with your ethics and culture. Identify where your strengths lie and what helps us to be good at what we do. The only way to truly do this is to be self-aware and know the ins and outs of who we are as people. Our strengths and weaknesses fuel our drive and passion related to a task. We need to know who and what we are perfectly to avoid choking out the flames that drive us.
• Step 3: Practice self-care
Practicing self-care replenishes us in more ways than one. A fresh start and fresh perspective on our path from time to time helps us to course-correct and figure out the best way to overcome any roadblocks on our path to greatness.
• Step 4: Integrate yourself in a “Community of Power”
Perhaps the most important step of all. It is harder to break a bundle of sticks than a simple branch of wood. Integrating ourselves in communities and environment that bolsters our drive and guides us in times of need is an integral part of any success story. Anyone successful in today’s era will tell you that they did not reach there by themselves, rather it was a “team effort”.
Also, expanding your network amongst like-minded peers emboldens us to draw inspiration and take necessary risks that sometimes would seem impossible to us on our own. It also helps to give us the courage to get back up once we have fallen pursuing our dreams.
I really do believe, that integrating the points above has helped me personally in my pursuit of daily success. Failure is integral to any great success story, but we must learn to inoculate ourselves against repeated failure. A person’s definition of success is a standard of how we perceive excellence based on the experience that shapes our character.
There is a famous quote that I finally and fully comprehended as I wrote this piece, “To fail is to succeed, to fail twice is to learn, but to never learn is to err.”
Lastly, I would like to sign off and leave you with a quote that inspires me to get up and chase down my goals, especially on the days where whatever I do, it seems like we’re rolling a stone up the side of a hill- “Don’t be afraid to start over again. This time you aren’t starting from scratch, you are starting from experience.”
