What is Success?

Success isn't what you think it is...

Getting promoted, making more money.

Does that necessarily lead to a good life?

What is a Good Life?

A good life is unique to every individual, and that's what makes life interesting.

For some, success might mean achieving professional milestones or accumulating wealth. For others, it could be about nurturing relationships, personal growth, or making a positive impact on the world. Understanding what truly matters to you is the first step towards a fulfilling life.

Redefining Success

True success is aligning your actions with your core values and passions.

It involves finding a balance that works for you and brings genuine happiness and satisfaction.

Are you truly happy in a role where you are making really good money, but you don't even have time for family or loved ones?

How much money is enough? Is making $7 million more over your lifetime going to make you that much happier?

Do they really have to go to the best schools to travel the world so that they don't have time to even go to the gym? Something to think about.

Key Elements of a Good Life

1. Purpose and Meaning: Engaging in activities that you find meaningful and fulfilling. How do we find our purpose? Where do you even begin? Trusting your intuition is a good smart. If we can turn off our phones for a whole day and sit with our thoughts without distraction, without anyone telling us what we need to buy or what we should be doing... Its going to be uncomfortable but there is power in being able to think for yourself.
2. Relationships: Building and maintaining strong, healthy relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. Are these transactional relationships, or do your friends actually care? You will find out who your friends are when you call them. Do they pick up? Or is it a one-way street?
3. Health and Well-being: Prioritize physical, mental, and emotional health. At the end of the day, you can be a billionaire with many health issues, but you will trade all of the money to be healthy again to live another year.
4. Growth and Learning: Continuously seeking personal and professional growth. Tony Robbins says that growth is a part of being human. We all have to feel like we are evolving or we are dying.
5. Contribution: Giving back to the community and making a positive impact on others. I call it intentionally legacy crafting. Have you actually thought about what people will say at your funeral? When you reflect on your life, are you proud of who you are being or will you have regrets? What about that book project or traveling the world like you said you would?

Conclusion

Success is a personal journey. It's not defined by societal standards or material achievements but by what makes you feel accomplished and happy. Embrace your unique path to a good life, and you'll find true success along the way.

How do I know that success is different for everyone?

I've been in organizations where people are making really good money but constantly look extremely stressed out.

I've read 30 billion biographies, and you do get a sense that they still aren't happy at the core.

They are proud of the process of who they become in obtaining ridiculous amounts of wealth.

As of 2024, Ray Dalio's estimated net worth is approximately $19 billion.

Ray Dalio's book "Principles: Life and Work" is a comprehensive guide based on his experiences and the management philosophy he developed while building Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds. The book is divided into two main sections:

1. Life Principles: Dalio shares personal anecdotes and the lessons he's learned from his successes and failures. He emphasizes the importance of truth and transparency, the need to embrace reality (Not being attached to what it used to be), and the significance of understanding one’s own weaknesses to improve continuously. Dalio advocates for an open-minded approach to learning and decision-making, suggesting that individuals seek out differing viewpoints and rigorously test their own beliefs.
2. Work Principles: This section delves into Dalio’s unique management approach, which includes creating a culture of "radical transparency" and "idea meritocracy." Dalio outlines tools and strategies for effective management, such as believability-weighted decision-making, where decisions are influenced more by the credibility of the people involved rather than their hierarchical position. He also discusses the importance of hiring the right people, fostering an environment of constant learning, and maintaining a balance between individual and organizational goals.

Are you truly successful if you don't believe you are?

It doesn't matter what others think if there isn't an Internal Satisfaction that we have within ourselves.

Let me know if you enjoyed these philosophical conversations more. Do you agree or disagree?