Khrietuonyü Noudi
It is understandable that everyone wants to be successful. But is there any yardstick to measure success? In the context of the Naga mindset, a successful person would be one who has gotten oneself a gazzeted govt. job or someone who owns a large successful business or someone who owns massive properties in Kohima, Dimapur and in his/her native village. Of course, these are all signs that a person is well-off and doing well in life because our remunerative earning does play a big role in determining how well we live our lives and how much influence we will have in society. But even if a person has all these around him, he can still be uninspired, unfulfilled, depressed, restless or even downright miserable.
So let us have a discourse on the idea of success from another perspective. Even if someone has all the above economic comforts and securities, it may not be enough to guarantee a happy and fulfilled life. There is no denying that to be economically well-off and to be in a position where one does not have to worry about from where the next meal will come or to pay one’s many bills is a big advantage because money does make the world go round. But I guess real success should ultimately stem from knowing the truth of God and realizing the plan and grand design of God for our lives and living according to it.
We are all aware of the universal adage, “man shall not live by bread alone”. And how true indeed! Though we need food everyday for survival, food is not the mere driving force behind most of man’s activities. If life is only about food, then we would not be seeing many of the ills that we see in our society. But man is by nature, selfish, suspicious, ambitious, competitive and rebellious. And that was why our first parents, Adam and Eve, rebelled against the Creator in the beautiful garden even though they were provided with everything they would need for survival. And from then on, man’s story of “survival of the fittest” started and here we are still trying to find our way back home.
The pursuit of happiness is the driving force behind all of man’s activities. People work to amass wealth because it gives them as sense of satisfaction, security, success and thereby happiness. But when it comes to the phenomenon of ‘the pursuit of happiness’, many are able to find fulfillment in other aspects also other than mere hunt for wealth and material prosperity. For example, a talented artist like a painter or a musician who has a passion for his craft may find ultimate fulfillment and happiness in pursuing his passion even if there is not much scope for material prosperity.
The idea of success has a direct co-relation with man’s pursuit of happiness because ultimately we do everything to feel happy, fulfilled and to be in a position of security. But a big stumbling block here is the phenomenon of comparison/competition. It is said that “comparison is the thief of joy”. Many are always in a pursuit and chase mode because they are always comparing themselves to others. They measure their money, their business, their homes, their cars, their careers and even their wives and children with others who they think is their competitor even though those assumed competitors may not even be aware that such a competition is going on. And this will be a never ending cycle and their lives will be full of tensions, stress and unrest.
But there may be a way out if someone would still like to go ahead with the idea and practice of competition. If at all a person wants to be in competition, he should be in competition with himself. At the end of the day, you should be your biggest competitor wherein you are striving to become a better, happier and more fulfilled version of yourself. Yes, this can be a great yardstick to measure one’s degree of success rather than trying to outrun or outdo someone else who may not even be aware that you are in a race with them. When you are finding happiness and fulfillment in the activities and progress you are making on a daily basis, you are successful even if nobody considers you so.
To be successful, many become so career-oriented that they lose out on so many things that life has to offer. They are able to climb the ladder of success in their careers but at the end they find no happiness and fulfillment because they did it at the cost of their families. Don’t let that be you.
Most of the times we are also so obsessed with the end result that we tend to neglect the process. But actually the process is much more important than the end result. If we focus on the process and give our best, then we do not need to worry about the outcome because the outcome will take care of itself. If we are willing to go through the process with a dedicated heart, then the end result will always turn out to be good.
Life is full of distractions and so another ingredient needed to be successful is recognizing which battle to fight and which one to ignore. Unless one is focused in one’s path, he can easily get distracted and veer off and get involved in battles which are totally unnecessary. So a person who wants to be successful has to be someone who knows how to ignore battles which are not worth fighting.
It is said that small minded people talk about people, average people talk about events but successful people talk about ideas. We Nagas are so fond of talking about others especially about our politicians. We also spend so much time and energy on events. But rather than talking about people or events, a good way would be to talk about ideas that can take us ahead.
There is a book by Joyce Meyer titled “Seize the Day”. I have not read the book but even the title itself is so inspiring and motivating. Many have not been able to taste success because they have not learnt to take advantage of the day. They get up late in the morning with no enthusiasm, passion or vigor for the day. But there is a saying, “if you do what nobody is willing to do today, then tomorrow nobody will be able to do what you will be doing tomorrow”. Yes, everyday is a gift from God. And anyone who is able to realize this and makes the most of each day, success is his for the taking.
It is also said that ‘one might have failed at many things, but as long as he does not blame others for his failure, he is not a failure”. This again brings to the forefront one of the most basic and undeniable traits of human beings. We are always quick to put the blame on others but never like to admit that it could be our misdoing. But the universal truth is that as long as we are blaming others without looking inwards inside ourselves, we will never grow as a human being. That is why it is said that “when you are pointing your index finger at someone, don’t forget that the other fingers are pointing at you”. And the greatest teacher also said, “why do you worry about the speck in your brother’s eye but do not see the log in your own eye”. The reason why many people do not move ahead in their lives is because they are always focusing on outside forces that are at work around them and they never bother to look inside within themselves. And all great philosophers have unequivocally said that the things that are in the inside of man are far greater, powerful and significant than the things that are outside. And it has been proven time and again that a person who is always searching for someone to blame will never find himself and if he does not find himself, success will always elude him.
In a nutshell, a truly successful person would be one who is thoroughly focused on the process knowing that the end result will take care of itself. A successful person would be one who is in competition with only himself and striving to become better everyday and is able to go to bed at night feeling happy and fulfilled. A successful person is also one who does not blame others for his failures, mistakes and shortcomings. A successful person is one who knows which battles to fight and which one to ignore. And a successful person would be one who knows how to seize the day and make the most out of it.
