A famous King’s daughter was getting old and this made her father worried because she was beautiful and without guile. Little did the king know that her beauty and character weren’t the presiding problems but the fact that she never met anyone else apart from the guards and her maids.
The princess only saw people from her high tower; she lived in her room for most of her time. Would you blame the king? He was protecting her from the cruel world so he thought but how was the crown going to become an heirloom without an heir. The king developed a plan to get his daughter married to anyone who would be willing to pay the price for her hand.
On the other side of the kingdom, there was a valiant man who was feared because of his numerous victories, no one dared to defeat him. When he heard about the king’s offer, he was sure no one would enter the competition because of his consistent reputation. Unfortunately, someone else was interested; this other man had always looked forward to meeting the princess in person.
If you look closely, the suitors had different goals. The first just wanted to win the game because he loves the spotlight, the princess was just going to be a mere reward for his achievement. The second suitor’s goal was the princess, not the highlights of winning.
What do you think happened at the end?
Well, who knows?
Right there is the thing with success, success is different for everybody. No one can define success for you although the very basis of success is fulfillment and the ability to reach your goals in life, whatever they may be.
In reaching for the stars (or maybe the moon), I charge you to abhor these myths:
Competition is good
Do not spend your entire life trying to keep up and pursuing the goals that you’re not supposed to pursue. Your journey is peculiar and the lessons and successes should sum up your life.
Competition makes you shallow because it is derived from a lack of acceptance of who you are and what you should be doing. Being in tune with yourself makes you better at succeeding. Everybody has a role to play and that includes you. Stand on the shoulders of others, let some people be like references and not a fundamental wannabe.
Money equals success
True success is something money cannot buy. Money has its importance; it is the means and not the ultimate goal. Success is rather intrinsic than it is material, never equate your self-worth to your income statement.
You are a failure for failing
Those who fail have better chances of success because they tried out some options and figured that their methods were wrong. Failure is instrumental to success, many successful men failed successfully. You’re not a failure for failing, take the lessons from failure and move forward.
You still have time
Time is of the essence my friend; you probably don’t have enough of it. So use it now
You need permission
Everyone has a shot at success. If you want to be successful then that’s your choice. You don’t need anyone to validate or permit you to succeed. You have to be willing to go the mile.
Successful people don’t give up
Here’s a shock, they do but the good thing is, they give up on the right things. They give up on the endeavor that they are sure will not yield success. They don’t waste their time chasing the wind, they are flexible to change and they know how to choose from a pool of options when one thing is not working.
Other people don’t matter
One of the variables of success is people. You’ll need people if you intend to go far, they make the journey easier. Whatever the course may be, the people we surround ourselves with have a huge impact on whether we achieve it or not. Surround yourself with the right people and mark the difference.
If your colleagues or customers don’t like you, you might have a hard time because if you treat others poorly, you’ll get the same treatment. Respect, love, and honor people.
At the end of the day, the King got what he wanted, and his plan was successful. You too can, we all should succeed.