Ben Pettit

Well yesterday I posted about what success is in my opinion. Here are my TOP 5 things success is NOT.

1. Success is NOT making a lot of money. Even marketers believe this. Enjoy where you are, at every moment. If your not happy making 35k a year. You won’t be happy making 70k or a 100k a year. Money buys things, it does not buy happiness. As a college student I was lucky enough to have incredible college jobs all 5 years. I always had money. It was what drove me. I thought having a lot of money would make me super happy. It didn’t. I remember sitting in my apartment one night lonely as can be, thinking, what is all this for any way?
2. Success is NOT being well known. I’m a net worker by heart. I haven’t always been able to do it, but these days I feel right at home with a room full of people that I don’t know. Although at the same time, I’ve remembered days in my life where my contact list was completely full yet I had no one I thought I could talk to. So I just sat there, bored and lonely. Make meaningful relationships and have meaningful conversations.
3. Success is NOT boastful. We often think because of our idea was the one chosen that we are just “the man”. So far from the truth. If your idea is chosen at work, great job, good for you! But, the true success is having your idea chosen, making a big sale, getting a raise… and then staying humble.
4. Success is NOT built overnight. I’ll let you follow the link and think to yourself about this one.
5. Success does NOT complain. I’m not even going to elaborate on this one but I will tell you a story. I have a friend who’s father bought her a brand new car. She didn’t have to pay a dime and instantly the car, title, and all was hers. The car cost about $20k. She then proceeded to complain that the car did not have the highest luxury package and she did not even want it.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

- Winston Churchill