Success: Determinism or Fatalism?

Article 7/365 of Jacques's Writing Quest

For each of us, the definition of success is different. But, for today's mind exercise, let's assume its career/financial success.

I read somewhere that success is a choice. To achieve anything you want, just choose success and follow certain principles. You determine your outcome.

I think that's a flawed argument. It's much more nuanced than that.

How many of us are committed to succeed, have the right mindset, do what we say we'll do, have a strong support system, and practice manifestation exercises but still haven't achieved success?

Here's another more fatalistic view. Success is based on luck or a word called 'randomness'. Consider successful individuals like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Warren Buffett, Elon Musk, and many others. Many entrepreneurs from privileged backgrounds, with better education and more opportunities, are among the numerous failures in the business world.

Think about it, you had no choice of the parents you were born to. This was luck, God, destiny, fate ... whatever you want to call it. You could have been born to a Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Black, White, Chinese, rich, poor, dysfunctional family. This very act changed the trajectory of your life. So, Gates, Branson, Buffet and Musk had a bit of luck getting into the right family, at the right time.

Gates went to a school that had one of the first computer centres in America. If he went to an art school, there may not have been a Microsoft.

Talking about art. In his youth, Adolf Hitler wanted to become an artist. But his dreams were ruined because he failed the entrance exam of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Hitler was rejected twice by the institute, once in 1907 and again in 1908.

Imagine if Hitler became an artist, how would the world we live in today be different?

Read Outliers. Read "The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell and "Fooled By Randomness" by Nassim Taleb to understand the impact of luck on success.

The definition of luck according to Gladwell is where knowledge and opportunity dissect.

Luck favours the prepared.

Continue to strive to be your best, keep reading, keep learning, keep growing, and keep showing up. One day, you may encounter someone, come across something, or learn something that has the power to change the course of your life.

And, I'll leave you with the hardest question. What happens if you do everything right for success, but still fail to achieve your goals? Then this exercise called life would be a disaster, wouldn't it? So, that's not a sound strategy.

For me the trick is to not base my worth and success on my outcomes, but rather on the experiences I've had. Because, by God, I have failed at more things than I care to imagine. If I based my worth on those failures, I'd be in a desolate place. But, heck, all my failures and rare successes have given me the most amazing experiences. I live this life as fully as I can, and do the best I can, and that is enough for me.