Success... What is success? How to you accomplish success? Who defines what success is? What will you become successful at? Do you really need to be successful?  I hope to help you find the answers to these questions as I offer an opinion on success...

What is success? The Oxford English Dictionary defines success as:
noun[mass noun]

• 1 the accomplishment of an aim or purpose:the president had some success in restoring confidence
• the attainment of fame, wealth, or social status:the success of his play
• [count noun] a person or thing that achieves desired aims or attains fame, wealth, etc.:to judge from league tables, the school is a successI must make a success of my business
• 2 archaic the good or bad outcome of an undertaking:the good or ill success of their maritime enterprises

What does that mean to you? My inference out of the above definition is one that you or someone else determines a successful situation based off of their opinion of your accomplishment in a certain relative area. In-other-words you can be successful or unsuccessful at anything and everything based on someones opinion, it doesn't even need to be a rational opinion.

Someone could look at a as a local business owner and see you as a mega-success! Even though they are struggling in their marriage (or have gone through a few divorces), bankrupt in their finances and involved in many conflicts with relatives. They may be a success to someone and a failure to another. With this logic it seems very unfair for someone to pass a judgment on someone else for being a success or a failure. There is only one Man whom has ever lived that has the ability to judge, and the game is not over until you are in the ground.

Going a step further let's look at success for you personally... What have you always wanted to do but haven't taken that first step for fear of failure? Has it been wanting to entertain a crowd of cheering fans? Has it been to compete in a tri-athalon? Has it been to not miss church at all for a month? Or was it to organize that huge DVD collection you have so you can find the one you are looking for when you are looking for it? No matter what it is, you are the judge, jury and executioner of your success at these individual goals or dreams. You control the direction of your life, no one else does. Stop being so hard on yourself and start living a significant life.  Stephen R. Covey in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People runs through some great steps to get you on your way to being a success in your own life on your terms. Wait, wait, wait, JB you mean I have to do something? I have to read something and actually think about something other than wake up, brush my teeth, shower, shave and go to work? Nope, you don't have to do anything... but do you want success? Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady have helped many people that are willing to change some behaviors move forward in their LIFE. They have a quote that says, "Winners hate losing enough to change, and loser hate change enough to lose." When you choose to lose, you lose. This is liberating, because then if you choose to WIN, You WIN! This means you define success in your life! You need to turn down the negative voices of others and focus on what you love and what adds value to your fellow man and determine your own success.

My father, Leon Thompson, who has been a great mentor in my life always had a saying, "I would rather shoot for the stars and miss than shoot for a pile of manure and hit." These words ring true no matter what you do.

Success? Do you really need to be successful? The answer is No! You can choose to do whatever you would like to do. Your father could have been a very successful banker and may want you to go into banking to honor him. It just so happens that your hot button in life is to act! Your father doesn't see a future in acting, there is no money in it and he wants to protect you from making a foolish decision and living in poverty. So you go into banking and hate everyday of it, but you make a lot of money and are able to afford the "finer" things in life. Bah Humbug! That is no way to live, you have been given a gift, an existence on this planet to answer to more than that, so if acting is your calling then pursue some sort of acting in your life to see if you come alive while doing it.

This last paragraph reminds me of a certain character on a show called "Arrested Development" named Tobias. He was a true dream chaser, trying to get into acting, become a member of the Blue Man Group and many other funny things that he would occupy his time with other than his responsibilities as a man and a father.  I am not encouraging you to tell your wife that you are leaving your job and joining the circus, but instead encouraging you to begin looking inside yourself to find your passion. Bruce Wilkinson in his book The Dream Giver has some practical tools to help you explore and a great story too!

Go out and create your own idea of success, the media doesn't have your best interests at heart. In my opinion, it seems they just want you to fight more, work more, consume more and procreate more. I think you are worth more than that.

God Bless!

JB