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What is Success... *Real* Success? (Part 1 of 2)

By Tony Mase

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 06Dec2005 Word count: 779 Viewed: 533 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Many people say they want success. Yet, when asked what "success" is, they haven't a clue. In other words, they say they want something when, at the same time, they don't even know what that "something" is.

What is success... *real* success?

The best definition of success I've ever read comes from the writings of Wallace D. Wattles, best known for his classic masterpiece, "The Science of Getting Rich".

In Chapter 1 of "How to Get What You Want", a book he wrote prior to "The Science of Getting Rich", Wallace D. Wattles writes:

"Getting what you want is success..."

There are two key words in Wallace D. Wattles' definition of success, the first one is *you*...

Getting what *YOU* want is success.

Not getting what I want...

Not getting what someone else wants...

Not getting what you think you should want because someone else has it...

Getting what *YOU* want is success!

Question for you...

What do *YOU* want...

What do you *really* want?

Before I began studying Wallace D. Wattles' writings and applying their principles to my life, I had all sorts of "goals" on my "goals list" that, at the time, I thought were things I wanted.

However...

When I examined those goals carefully, I discovered I didn't *really* want them at all.

Travel is one example that immediately comes to mind. I had a number of travel goals on my goals list.

The funny part is...

I don't really like to travel all that much!

Here's another one...

I had a goal to own a closet full of finely tailored, custom made suits.

The truth is, I'm perfectly comfortable and content running around in jeans and a t-shirt. As a matter of fact, at the same time I had this goal on my list, I was desperately trying to get to a point in my life where I *didn't* have to wear a suit!

One more...

And this one, looking back on it, was downright ridiculous.

I had a goal to own a white Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine and have my own personal chauffeur.

What's wrong with that, you ask?

Nothing, except there are very few things I like less than being a passenger in a car, especially being a passenger in the back seat of a car.

Hmmm...

No wonder I wasn't making any progress towards my goals...

They weren't *my* goals!

Whose goals were they?

I honestly don't know.

All I know is they weren't mine. :-)

I guess I thought these were things "successful" people did or had so, since I wanted to be "successful", they were what I should want.

I know that sounds silly but, judging from some of the questions I get, there are a whole lot of folks out there who think they "should" want all sorts of things they don't really want at all.

Now...

Am I saying there's anything wrong with wanting travel, custom made clothes or chauffeur driven limousines?

Absolutely not!

Unless...

*You* don't *really* want those things!

So...

How do you determine if *you* really want something?

Simple...

For each of your wants, ask yourself and then answer these two very important questions:

1. Why *specifically* do I want this?

Be very, *very* specific in your answers and keep asking yourself "why" to each of your answers until you're not able to answer the question any more.

If you can't come up with one or more clear, "convincing", meaningful reasons why *you* want something then you don't *really* want it, you just "think" you do.

2. How does it *feel* now that I have this?

Close your eyes and imagine yourself as having already attained that which you want and pay particular attention to how you "feel" now that you have it.

If it doesn't "feel" good or if all you experience is an empty, "so what" feeling, again, you don't *really* want it, you just "think" you do.

In the first chapter of "How to Get What You Want", Wallace D. Wattles also says this about success:

"Success is essentially the same, whether it results in the attainment of health, wealth, development or position; success is attainment, without regard to the things attained."

In other words...

All success is the same.

The only difference is what *you* want.

Getting what *YOU* want is success!

Once you determine what *you* want, what you *really* want, what "success" is to you and only *you*, your life will change, it'll change rather dramatically and it'll change faster than you ever thought possible.

What's the second key word in Wallace D. Wattles' definition of success?

Stay tuned for the answer in Part 2 of this series! :-)

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