When I think about success I think about it as a sequence of experiences lived over time and on a course towards a specific goal. Those experiences involve thought, emotion and action or, TEA. Of course, it all begins with a ‘single thought’, an idea that must first occur to us before we begin the journey. This ‘single thought’ is what incites the kinds of emotions that moves us to take the action steps we believe are necessary to achieve our goal. However, success is the story about the experiences lived in pursuit of achieving a goal and not the goal. Opening day of a new business, being published, graduating, that new car or new house for example, are all the result of success; status, so to speak. Success is a story of passion, drive, dedication, hope, sweat, tears, disappointment, happiness, satisfaction… It is the story of what life is mostly about; a journey of pure emotions.
On this journey, failure is not necessarily a dead end and should be treated as simply a detour or a temporary interruption. This is to say that, even if you do not achieve your goal, you will have lived the experiences of the journey up until that point and this is something worth owning and embracing. After all, it is your life lived. You may as well treat the story as a positive, especially, if in this moment, you are in a good place. Because the reality is that every breath you have taken and all experiences lived so far, equals to who you actually are in this instant. Fortunately, most of the time, we are in a good place with or without having achieved a goal.
Just be mindful that “Now” is that constant instant between the past and the future and that it is the only time we live, and the only time we can do something about almost anything.” Embracing these thoughts and living by them make for the kind of mental attitude that moves us to try again.
For those overly concerned about failure, think about this. “Failure is nothing more than a temporary experience. It is not a permanent condition or a terminal disease. Experience it, and then let it go. Survive it, and try again. Nothing scares away failure more than another try. Nothing is more attractive to success, than courage; the courage to try again”.
Again, success is all about the story of life lived, regardless what goal you are trying to achieve. Meanwhile, live in the Present Positive Tense. Live in the Now and think positive thoughts even if you decide not to try again; even if another idea does not occur to you; Even if you run out of TEA for the time being.
I find that any venture, business or otherwise, is a story about TEA. My stories about starting Arttextry.com and publishing Now O’ Clock were very similar.
We all have our own stories about one pursuit or another. Still, it is all about the story of our lives; a sequence of emotional experiences.
You see, as we set out to achieve a goal, business or otherwise, we’re moved by possibility, passion, hope and positive expectation that the goal can be achieved. We are moved by pure emotions. They are what we experience as we are pursuing our goals. It is life as we have it while not being able to know if we will achieve our goal. So, until we get there, we are here and even when we do get there it will still be ‘here’. This is simply because “everything” happens in the ‘present’ regardless of outcome, and as I said before, most of the time we’re in a good place.
Try to be mindful that the quality of the life you now live, as you pursue your goals should nonetheless be meaningful and satisfying. Because, at any given moment, there is much more going on in your life, than pursuing a goal. It is a matter of paying attention to being as you are and as everything is without judgment. It is a matter of paying attention to everything else. After all, it is all going on in the present. Our goals exist only in our imagination and those thoughts are about the future.
Still, I encourage anyone who has an idea to pursue it. It can be an exciting and satisfying journey.
“The thrill lives in the hunt but dies with the kill.” The thrill is about making the most of your life as you have it now. The hunt is the pursuit of a worthy goal, and the kill is the goal achieved and the reset of another goal.”
Tea: anyone?
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