25. Success or Mess

Why are we afraid of success? Why do we strive to be successful and then, when we get close, tend to run in the opposite direction?

We are afraid because we know that in order to succeed we must be disciplined and committed to our career. Most of us don’t want to be disciplined. Even when we were children and our parents or teachers tried to teach us discipline, we fought it. We wanted to do what we wanted, when we wanted to do it. We did not want to make any commitments because that takes responsibility.

It’s not easy to be a responsible person. It means that we can’t lay the blame on anyone but ourselves for our success or for the messes we get into. It’s always easier to blame someone of something else for our problems, our mistakes, our shortcomings. As a culture, we are taught to look for the easier, softer way.

We are afraid to succeed. Being successful demands a great deal of us. It dictates our lifestyles, our family and friends and our social life.

We can choose to succeed or we can choose to fail. It is our choice. We are in control. It is easier to choose failure because we know how that feels. We are afraid of success; it is an unknown. But there are new exciting challenges and ideas ready and waiting for us if we go after them.

Change is a new beginning. We don’t like changes because we don’t know what’s going to happen. But everyone and everything changes, just as the seasons do. We change from childhood to adulthood, from foolish to wise and from failure to success.

We have a free will. It is our choice. The changes will occur whether we like them or not. The secret is learning to cope with each stage of change in order to grow.

Sometimes we do not cope well with the ongoing changes, and we act spoiled. We need to make up our minds right now that we are ready to cope with the changes without help from “friends” who turn out to be enemies as they try to control and lead us to failure.

There are no magic formulas to success. We can’t wave a imagine wand and poof, we are successful. Here are some ideas of what it takes to become successful:

S: Sacrifice. You must be willing to sacrifice your personal desires, sometimes time with friends, family and fun, and discipline yourself. Control those desires which lead you away from success and work hard.

U: Utilize everything in your possession to “make it happen.” Know your assets and use them; know your capabilities and be ready to expand your potential.

C: Commitment. Be committed to yourself. Get your priorities in order; know what it takes to come out ahead.

C: Challenges. Don’t be afraid to accept new challenges and do things you’ve never done before. Welcome new ideas and suggestions and step out on faith.

E: Enjoy yourself. You must train your body and emotions to enjoy different pleasures and not follow those things which will distract you from your course. Accept and enjoy your lifestyle and your career and the demands that go with it.

S: Select something that you know is you, a career and lifestyle that you love doing. Do not change or compromise for anything less.

S: Savior. You cannot make it without a “savior.” You will need Jesus in your life, your career and your family. You must have His Spirit of love and faith to make it. You must have someone that you can totally trust and depend upon. You cannot leave Him out and become completely successful.

“Success” becomes a “mess” when you are:

S: Scared to succeed because of change, challenges or for whatever reason.

U: unsure of yourself, your plans, your talents, you potential.

C: Committed to the wrong career – a career you have chosen that is really not for you, one which you don’t enjoy and pursue it to failure.

C: Copeless. You can’t cope with change, but stay in the same old rut.

E: Envy. Jealousy and envy of your friends that are headed for success.

S: Succumb. To yield, to submit to force, to give in. Giving up generally leads to failure.

S: Sad. All the sad people who go to their graves, unfulfilled, unloved, unsure, unsuccessful.

You choose today. Which will it be: success – or mess?