Today I read an interesting piece on success and what it
means to you. First, in the spirit of transparency, it was written by our boy,
who is actually a full grown man. I would like to say that it was well written
but….apparently grammar, syntax and punctuation are generational things.
Anyway, it was well thought out and, syntax aside, thought provoking. In the
piece he writes about a generation, his generation, where “everyone was
convinced they would grow up to be super rich rock stars”. It made me think
about one of the biggest differences between my generation and the young adults
of today. Reality. I don’t mean that in a nasty way. Think about it. Think
about how reality, or the perception of reality, has changed since you were
young. We all wanted to be rock stars too but, for us, it was a wild dream that
99% of us knew would never happen. We didn’t have YouTube, turning plain Janes
into overnight sensations, or the Kardashian’s proving that talent is necessary
for celebrity. We didn’t actually believe
that we would be rich and famous if we just wanted it enough. We dreamed about
it, fantasized, and then settled in to our futures. Not so for this generation.
They’ve had the fantasy showered upon them since birth. Justin Bieber, Dot Com
Billionaires, Video Game Celebrities all make that dream seem just outside your
grasp. But, the reality is that 99% of us will never live that dream. Therein
lies the problem. Too many young people today confuse dreams and goals. Dreams
are big and elusive; something motivating to reach for. Some dreams do come
true. Many do not. That is certainly no reason to stop dreaming. Just because
you’ll never make the NBA doesn’t mean you should stop shooting hoops with your
friends. Goals are different. Goals are concrete and achievable. Every time you
set a goal and reach it, you have succeeded. Be proud of that success. Success
is a series of goals achieved. Goal #1 should be to strive to be the best at
everything you do. Even if you’re not happy with the job you have today, be the
best damn ‘here’s what I’m doing today’ guy
there is. At the end of the day, a job well done is something to be proud
of. Pride breeds confidence and
confidence breeds success. If you constantly compare your life, your reality,
to your dreams you will probably never feel successful. Life rarely measures up
to our dreams. We can’t make all of our
dreams come true. But success; we can control that! So, set your goals and use
each one that you achieve as a stepping stone to the next. Before you know it,
maybe that dream won’t seem so far out of reach. Okay. I’m done. Hopping off my
soapbox and heading home. It’s not my dream home, mind you, but it’s a damn
fine home none the less!
Sway
P.S. If you’d like to read the boy’s article, and I highly recommend
that you do, it’s right here:
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