The start of a new year is when I take stock of where I am in life. Resolutions tend to be about what we want to change (weight, exercise, smoking), but I’m talking about assessing success.
For the record, I don’t think of myself as successful. Largely because that word has many different meanings to, well, just about everyone. Success can mean money or fame. But it can also mean doing what you love and enjoying life. I have none of the first, but pretty much all of the second. A few weeks ago, I got a really nice email from the mother of a girl I went to high school with. She told me she had a “vested interest in me”. I like that. It’s nice to know I have people in my corner rooting for me.
For a while now, I’ve been getting daily emails from Hugh MacLeod. He is a cartoonist that got his start drawing inspirational cartoons on the back of business cards. His business is called Gaping Void, Business Transformation Through Art. Each email includes a drawing and a thought. A few days ago, I received an email from him called “Keep Trying”. In the email MacLeod said “Success is about always moving forward. But it’s equally about paying attention to the basics. Not forgetting to laugh and love and appreciate what we have, even as we fix our eyes on new horizons.”
It is often easy to get wrapped up in trying to be “successful” without ever really thinking about what that means. I choose to keep moving forward, trying new things, failing and getting up and trying again, but I hope I never forget to laugh and love appreciate what I have.
I liked the reminder from MacLeod and thought you might, too..