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     spider
Member
Username: spider
Post Number: 2185
Registered: 10-2002Rating: N/A
Votes: 0
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| | Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 12:01 am: |  
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A little while back the subject of what constitutes success came up on another thread.
I'm probably alone in thinking that generating more money than your partner can spend is at least one form of success.
Often , when this subject comes up people get a bit coy, and bring up the point (and a very good point it is) that family and friends are way more important than money.
But, I tend to think that some people (not all) tend to pretend that money is not that important because, at some level, they are frightened of financial success, and therefore feel more comfortable if they can ridicule money and the people who would seek to accumulate it.
More than once, on this forum, I have been painted as an evil doer because I don't pretend that the possession of wealth is a bad thing. But that is enough about that.
Where is this leading?
Well, I thought that it would make an interesting discussion if we were to HONESTLY state what we believe SUCCESS to be.
To start the ball rolling, the following is a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and is at the very beginning of Anthony Robbins book "Unlimited Power".
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
spider.
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hilarius
Member
Username: hilarius
Post Number: 947
Registered: 04-2004Rating: N/A
Votes: 0
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| | Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 12:08 am: |
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Hi Spider
I don't under-estimate the value of money ... but alone it has no value
It is the purpose to which it will be applied that matters
As to success, maybe that is as intangible as knowing that one has sometimes tried one's best to serve others, using one's gifts and capacities to learn how to achieve that end?
With Best Wishes
Hilarius
I come in peace to share my thoughts and to shine my candle light on possible long term opportunities
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davkell
Member
Username: davkell
Post Number: 202
Registered: 07-2004Rating: N/A
Votes: 0
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| | Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 12:20 am: |
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I heard a saying once: "You don't need money to be happy..... but it sure does help!"
Nuff said?
No really, I think success is when you can wake up because you want to, not because you have to!
"Trade Your Way To Financial Freedom" - Van K Tharp
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ingot54
Member
Username: ingot54
Post Number: 722
Registered: 05-2004Rating: N/A
Votes: 0
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| | Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 12:27 am: |
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Perennial!
Yes, Davkell, I used to have a footnote on my posts that said: Money isn't everything, but it's right up there with oxygen!
Today, my thoughts are tempered a little.
In a nutshell, success is: to have overcome.
Keep Smiling
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vermante
Member
Username: vermante
Post Number: 418
Registered: 11-2002Rating: N/A
Votes: 0
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| | Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 09:00 am: |
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Because off the opportunity cost of time , one cannot be a success in all aspects of life . Hence one has to be very selective .
A professional who wants to be amongst the best in his chosen field must devote what ever time it consumes to that particular aspect of his life and allocate the rest of his time on a needs basis.
If one has to hit a 10,000 tennis balls a day to be "make it " then the time and effort it takes to achieve that objective takes precedence . It takes a self centered(selfish) approach to make it to the upper echelons of any profession .
I postulate that in this highly competitive modern era that it is impossible to live a "balanced life".
If success means living a "balanced life" , then very few will achieve Nirvana.
Cheers
Vermante
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hilarius
Member
Username: hilarius
Post Number: 950
Registered: 04-2004Rating: N/A
Votes: 0
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| | Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 11:07 am: |
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Vermante
Ability to work long hours was for a long time a sign of manhood and a means to exclude womanhood in fields such as medicine and the law
Senior surgeons and lawyers were notorious for enforcing the same horrendous hours on their favoured successors as they suffered in "training" themselves
This callous uncaring attitude to life breeds narrowness and greed
Some of the greatest leaders can exhibit gentleness and seem to have time in abundance
"Weary" Dunlop had that reputation among the captives of the Japanese
In my own life I spent 40 years making everything more complex to see how far I could push myself
I've now been spending 10 years making everything more simple to see how much life's true non-material treasures can be revealed
I agree with you about focus, but I do not see that it necessarily leads to lack of balance
Some who are "time poor" are gracious and loving in their relationships while others are greedy and arrogant
In the end it is a matter of choice
We should be careful how we treat people on the way up because we will be meeting them on the way down
Be kind to your children because they get to choose your nursing home
Balance is achievable ... but first you must want to achieve it
Too many want the excuse of hiding behind a work barrier
It is neither necessary nor in the long run desirable to make work an excuse for life imbalances
In my humblest of humble opinions
Hilarius
I come in peace to share my thoughts and to shine my candle light on possible long term opportunities
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deanrosario
Member
Username: deanrosario
Post Number: 758
Registered: 11-2002Rating: 
Votes: 4
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| | Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 02:21 pm: |
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A parable that may add some perspective to the success/wealth discussion. I heard it several years ago when I, too, was consumed by the corporate ideology and the acquisition of toys.
I'd be surprised if anyone doesn't see some sense in the story ...
One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf.
He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.
About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach,
trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He
noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to
find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working
harder to make a living for himself and his family.
"You aren't going to catch many fish that way," said the
businessman to the fisherman, "you should be working rather
than lying on the beach!"
The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and
replied, "And what will my reward be?"
"Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!" was the businessman's answer.
"And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman,
still smiling.
The businessman replied, "You will make money and you'll be
able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!"
"And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman again.
The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman's questions. "You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said.
"And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman.
The businessman was now getting really angry. "Don't you understand?
You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!"
Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?"
The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the
fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again!
You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the world!"
The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what
do you think I'm doing right now?"
"It's not whether you're right or wrong that's important, but how much money you make when you're right and how much you lose when you're wrong." George Soros
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buy_stop
Member
Username: buy_stop
Post Number: 264
Registered: 05-2004Rating: N/A
Votes: 0
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| | Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 06:38 pm: |
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Dean - love that one!!!
What about floating that company on the stock exchange??
Don’t tell me the businessman forgot that one?
It’s so easy to get stuck on a figurative treadmill that leads nowhere – the more you accomplish the more you feel you NEED to accomplish and there is no stopping place to this enslavement.
Truly, life being so short, when does one become content achieving a reasonable amount of financial success and enjoy the LIVING?
_________________________________________________
THE MARKET IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A REASON TO MOVE
_________________________________________________
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vermante
Member
Username: vermante
Post Number: 419
Registered: 11-2002Rating: N/A
Votes: 0
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| | Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 07:50 pm: |
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Good one Dean , unfortunately one cannot pay the mortgage and provide opportunities for ones self and family with "fish" .
If living in a modern society is desired then one has to go through the cycle of accumulating wealth so that one can spend most of the time "fishing"
In general(there are a few exceptions) the harder one works the quicker one can get to the fishing level.
It is the process of getting to the fishing level that takes its toll on most humans.
Let me relate a true story-:
My next door neighbour was a small businessman. He worked long hours and used to get home about 2.00 am most days having started a 9.00 am the previous morning. His wife used to consistently nag him that he did not spend much time with his 6 kids as all his time was spent at the business.
As he gradually became more successful he decided to take his wife's advice.He hired extra staff , spent less time in the business and more time with his kids.
Within a year the business was in trouble . The staff were robbing him blind , and the business went bust .To add salt to the injury his wife left him . He is now a shell of his former self.
My neighbour did not have any extravagant ambitions. His sole aim was to provide his family with a reasonable standard of living.
Hillarius I agree with your sentiments and consider being kind to your fellow man etc as par for the course. My neighbour was such a man.
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kev
Member
Username: kev
Post Number: 35
Registered: 01-2004Rating: N/A
Votes: 0
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| | Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 07:57 pm: |
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I believe that we do need to continually strive towards balancing our lives. In everyday life we will tend to become unbalanced as we focus on one area and we should be aware of this and pay attention to the other areas of our life. The closer we get to balance the more productive we can become in all areas of our life.
To paraphrase an idea that appears in many management programs and that I think helps to define success-
The ongoing goal of striving towards balance in all of the areas of life --
Family and Home
Mental and Educational
Physical and Health
Spiritual and Ethical
Social and Cultural
Financial and Career
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ann
Member
Username: ann
Post Number: 932
Registered: 04-2004Rating: N/A
Votes: 0
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| | Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 08:50 pm: |
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Hi Kev,
Put Ethical top of the list and everything eventually will fall into place.
Cheers
Ann
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holycow
Member
Username: holycow
Post Number: 1691
Registered: 08-2004Rating: N/A
Votes: 0
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| | Sunday, September 04, 2005 - 11:43 am: |
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... sometimes the definition of SUCCESS to someone could depend on his/her needs. Hence one's success could be another's failure due to individual need as well as desire/perception/goal to satisfy such need. In this forum, depending on the age, level of self perceived achievement in terms of success, it's not hard to see there're different view of success.
May be Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs may help us better understand where each of us is standing, especially in response to our need.
Here are the links: link1,link2, link3
HC
"... if you've got a chart, I have an opinion!"
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smallworld
Member
Username: smallworld
Post Number: 331
Registered: 01-2004Rating:
Votes: 4
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| | Sunday, September 04, 2005 - 01:07 pm: |
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