Create Success

Mother Teresa says, “God doesn’t require us to succeed, he only requires that you try...God has not called me to be successful. He called me to be faithful.” In my life, I always believed that effort outweighs performance, time will reflect all the work you put into something — it just won’t show right away, what matters is the integrity you put into it, the commitment.

This following quote really hit me hard in my first time reading it, from Mother Teresa, “The Success of Love is in the Loving — it is not in the result of loving. Of course, it is natural in love to want the best for the other person, but whether it turns out that way or not does not determine the value of what we have done.” In my life, what matters is love — all roots, stems, and our final destination is to Love. Some may say "the end justifies the means," and I never believed that. The journey to get to the end is as important or more critical than reaching the end.

I believe that what carries us is love, love for ourselves, and having goodwill for the other. To survive, one must apply mercy and forgiveness to others, imagine carrying baggage and being reminded of your faults against others every time they see you. They see the hurt and pain you caused them, what stress will you have on yourself? You may not remember it, or you wish the guilt wouldn’t lay so heavy on your conscience and being reminded how you affected this person. Do you want to be identified by your actions good or bad? I believe success is proportionate to the vision of how you define your own identity; how you shape your own identity. You have to believe in yourself and the good you are created to do. You are here existing — to dogood. Every person that breathes is meant to do good. Success is not found in money, status, fame, or reputation, even in legacy.

Thinking of the strategies that the book is offering I want to touch base on some examples of these points to be truly successful. It’s in the formation of relationships and recognizing the good one can do on earth.

Creator mindset with growth mindset

DAPPs

Balance of hard skills and soft skills (On Course by Skip Downing)

Creator mindset covers the idea that one must think outside the box; not be stuck in one’s circumstances, areas of expertise, or having a fixed mindset. Nope, rather, one must recognize where he or she can grow as an individual. It is the balance of knowing all you have is given to you but what you do with your resources, talents, responsibilities, interests, and simply the role you choose to embrace and embody is on you. No one can force you to do something you don’t want to do or take upon themselves something only you can do.

DAPPs help apply one’s vision/dream to make it a reality, to help one be a successful person. DAPPs stands for keep your goals Dated, Achievable, Personal, Positive, and Specific. Do not lose your focus on your goals, vision, and make it tangible and a reality. I heard that goals are just dreams with a deadline. I think one of the most critical recurring themes is to keep positive, to grow as a person. Whatever circumstance, whatever situation, it doesn’t necessarily determine your future, in fact, such challenges make you a witness to be the one to defeat the odds.

"What do I care what weathers the storm — I’ve got my love to keep me warm"…is from a classic song during the 50s?

Anyway, that song reminds me of the heart of what I’m saying, no matter the trial or obstacle: Choose love, the burden becomes bearable — light. Because in the end you want the best for the other, and in doing so, hopefully, you choose those who look for your best interest too.

Les Brown says, “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living in our fears,” I feel like I’m living out my nightmares on a daily basis. Sometimes every minute! It takes a lot of courage to move forward to seek light and just let that envelop the darkness of my life. I feel tortured every day sometimes, worse than others. My environment and situation might never change, but my mentality can. Finding solutions out of the mire of life. Always hope, have faith, and live out love.

As I conclude this awesome essay, I will cover the hard skills and soft skills. We definitely need both. As time passes, I observe that connection is lost due to digital overload and stimulation, people lose how to communicate, face-to-face, and simple manners and pleasantries are disregarded. It’s normal not to spend time in small talk about the weather or what we had for lunch, it’s more like, do I know you? Why are you talking to me, is this person worth my time? Even if it’s just two-minute conversations, people act too busy. Time becomes so precious and inward centered. Nature and man also have such a disconnect as well. All these changes and adjustments affect how we interact with each other, how we see our expectations of each other, the culture becomes less united. Less respect for differences exists become the norm. The result is an individualistic and isolated environment. The hard skills are dependent on talent and hard work for a more technical job-related activity. In a way, this is much more easier to learn. Soft skills are more influenced by culture, background, environment, how the internal clock works; this means relationships and how we view and get along with people and how we view ourselves and our role in society. This is much harder to pinpoint, develop, and change; if we are even willing to change ourselves. This can deal with emotional stability and balance, mental clarity, and just if one thinks this world is our final destination or if there’s an afterlife…all these deep questions that probe our thoughts and actions shape our character and are much harder to face and change, challenge and grow. Both hard skills and soft skills are needed to be the person one is called to be or explore the vocation that is meant for them.

If you stayed with me this long, congrats!!! I feel like it’s the end of a dating profile haha… Anyway, I would like to quote Archbishop Fulton Sheen, “You must remember to LOVE people and USE things, rather than LOVE things and USE people.” He also declares, “It is easy to find truth, though it is hard to face it, and harder still to follow it.” Let us start this journey, seek Truth, and follow it.

Christine Tuazon