What’s your definition of success?

As a teenager, I believed that the amount of money you made was a measure of how much you can do, and by extension, how successful you are.

As I got older though, this idea of success changed.

By my late 20s, my goal was to own a business. I became highly distracted by the need to make more money. I started network marketing as a side business alongside my full-time banking job. And every day became about trying to make more money. This constant and never-ending rat rate made me feel so empty. What I did not understand then was that running a business, especially when you are not doing so intentionally, is not only emotionally exhausting but requires a lot of hard work, with high chances of failure.

By my early 30s, I believed I was getting old and was running out of time. I started multi-tasking practically everything. If I were in a car (whether driving or being driven), eating, or walking, I would either be listening to or watching a self-improvement podcast or video. I wanted to get the most out of any single minute of every day. Unfortunately, there was never time for me to think. There was also something to do or complete.

By my mid-30s, I overcame my fear of venturing out and quit my fulltime job to start a business for myself, writing, and speaking. I have been gifted with the ability to inspire people, and I am grateful that I am bold enough to speak in front of a large audience. All these different seasons of my life have led me to where I am.

Everyone has a different and unique definition of success. I hope your definition can be about something much bigger than you and your personal desires.