We see the Smiths down the street with a beautiful home, a swimming pool and a new car. By the looks of things, we might consider the Smiths successful, since most people tend to base success on material possessions.



But are they, or is it just a front to try to impress the neighbours?

For all we know, they could hate what they are doing, they could be heavily in debt and not very happy. So why do we judge people by their external appearances and material possessions and compare ourselves with their apparent success?

Is that what success is all about to you?

Success means different things to different people. The reality is, success means whatever you want it to mean for you. Don't compare yourself with others and what they think success means. Believe it or not, you are already successful in many different ways. You just haven't taken the time to realize it yet.

I am sure you've succeeded in accomplishing many of the things you desire in life, such as learning to ride a bike, learning to read and write, graduating, buying a car or a home, finding the right person and getting married, having children, and so on. These are all desires or goals that you have accomplished.

You have succeeded so far in your life, haven't you?

Let's take a look at two couples. Peter and Mary dress really well, drive BMWs, live in a beautiful home and always appear to have money to spend. Would you classify them as a success?

Based on the information provided, you probably would. But if we go behind the scenes, we discover that they are not happy in their jobs, they are in debt over their heads and their only goal is for one of their fathers to die so that they can inherit his money.

How many people do you know that live a life of "fake success"?

They are living their life from the outside in. Is this what success is all about?

Another couple, John and Sandra, appear a little different to society. John stays home and takes care of three children, while Sandra, a petite blond, leaves each morning with a metal lunch box and a hard hat and works in construction.

Would you classify them as a success?

Based on the information provided, you probably would not. But going behind the scenes, we discover that they are happy and each is living the life of their dreams.

When John was a child, his parents never seemed to be around. They were always busy at work or elsewhere. When John was a teenager, he set a goal for himself to be a parent and his dream was to stay home and raise children. Today, John stays home and parents full-time.

As for Sandra, she used to work in the corporate world but always had a passion to get involved in high-rise construction and leave landmarks around the world.

Is each partner doing what they want to be doing? Are they successful? Do you think they care what society thinks of them?

They are living their life from the inside out. Isn't that what success is all about?

Look back again at the two different ways we have looked at success. In the first example, we looked at success from an external point of view and we compared ourselves to others.

In the second example, we considered success from an internal point of view which is a view of our desires in life and they don't have to revolve around money, power or material things.

Your desire could be for a certain lifestyle, education, career, marriage or anything you want to have, to be or to do.

Success is the progressive accomplishment of a worthy goal or idea.

If there is something you want to have, to be or to do and you move forward toward accomplishing that desire, you will succeed. Success is not just about material things, it's about you.

Success is not about how society sees you but how you see yourself. It is an inside out approach to success. You have to know yourself and your personal motivators if you want to travel the road of personal success and happiness.

How do you see yourself?