Life’s Lesson Learned Early
I believe we all have it in us to succeed.
“The world is unforgiving. You have to work for what you want and take what’s yours.” My father passed that piece of advice along to me sitting in a champagne Lincoln my first day back to school after the divorce. He told me if any one person wants his or her own success, they have to work for it. We all have choices. The choices we make directly affect our future. Consequently, we all have the right and ability to succeed. Of course, individual success is dependant upon taking advantage of available opportunities, our definition of happiness, and how close we come to our goals.
No matter a person’s social, political, or financial background, we all have one thing in common: opportunity. Whether there is a trust fund or relying on government aid, it is possible to acquire a college education, if desired. An aspiring fashion designer has the selection of a rainbow forest for their designs. A future entrepreneur has the option of partnered investments or going solo with the help of a loan for capital. Everyone has the opportunity to better his/herself.
I am not saying one has to have a Bachelor of Science, trust funds, or multiple homes to be happy. Every single person has an ideal position for life. For my father, it is living by himself in a sufficient home in the middle of a cotton field, and in a community without any stoplights. I have seen my father in my lifetime to acquire many expensive material things from beautiful homes with authentic Spanish tile and multiple vehicles to losing it all in a mere moment. “ ‘Things’ do not make you happy,” another observation from Pop. “You have to be satisfied with where you are in your life.”
“Nothing worth attaining or having was every easy.” Wise man. If it is a MBA you seek, the Dean is not going to hand it to you. If it is saving for a rainy day, Donald Trump is not going to come along and write you a check. Every goal ever set takes dedication and resilience. Sure, people have setbacks and obstacles, like divorce. Obstacles make life worth living. One can value the success in the goal if he/she had to work for it.
Consequently, a good quality of life comes from happiness. Happiness derives from success. Success is caused by goals. Goals are set by opportunity. Success is not measured on how many paper presidents you have hanging out in your checking account or the homes sprinkled in the hills. Success is about you and only you. You control your own fate. You control your own life. Life is what you make it- with or without success.
This I believe.