What does it mean to succeed?

Everyone wants to be successful. But how do we know we are succeeding or that we are on the right track?

There are six characteristics of a successful life:

1. A peaceful mind: freedom from anger, resentment, anxiety, despair, shame and guilt.
2. A high level of energy and health: a body that is in harmony with the mind; having energy to invest in achieving goals.
3. Positive relationships with others: developing and maintaining significant, positive and mature relationships.
4. Financial independence: freedom from constant worry about money; having sufficient ease to feel safe and able to meet one’s own needs.
5. Engaging and stimulating goals and ideals: knowing the reason for getting out of bed each morning and where to invest energy, time and money.
6. Self-actualization: having a sense of becoming who one wants to become, of developing one’s full human potential positively and constructively for oneself and others.

Are all the characteristics required to feel successful in life? Certainly not. But the more we have, the more we benefit. These characteristics are not to be perceived as fully present or absent, but rather, as on a continuum. It should also be noted that we can have a great deal of influence over these characteristics.

For example, only we can stop sustaining hatred. This is true for all other emotions. We cannot control certain events in life, but we can choose our reaction. Also, we are responsible for our lifestyles: nutrition, sleep, physical exercise, tobacco and alcohol use.

We can make choices with respect to financial resources, even if they are sometimes limited. Some people will make wiser choices than others about the same amount of money. In addition, lifestyle and emotions have a direct effect on financial health.

Finally, only we can set stimulating and constructive goals for ourselves. We must take the time to look at our resources and define realistic goals that are appropriate for us (couple, personal, family, business).

Is all this easy? Certainly not, otherwise everyone would manage to do it. It it possible? Certainly it is, because some people do indeed manage to do it.

How do we accomplish this? Here are a few hints: hone your sense of observation. Be realistic about the current situation. Have a clear image of where you want to be. Understand that acts, thoughts and feelings can either foster or harm success.

It is up to us to take our courage in our hands, imitate those who succeed and work on it every day. But only if we want success.

Pierrette Desrosiers, psychologist

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