Success: a Choice or a Cause and Surrender?
Wednesday November 14, 2012
“Again and again I therefore admonish my students in Europe and America: Don’t aim at success – the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself.
Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run … in the long-run, I say! … success will follow you.”
Victor Frankl
I’m not sure if I agree with all of Frankl’s thoughts here; however, all of them made me think and that’s always a good thing.
Given the length of the quote, its completeness as a thought and my commitment to a one minute read, I’ll just let this one be.
How about you? Can you move yourself and your consciousness to a place where “cause” and “surrender” are enough to create an extraordinary life?
Just sayin’
P. S. Your comments are eagerly sought and I often reply!