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There's conflict between who we are and
who we think we could be — or should be.
No matter how successful we are with our careers or
families, we feel like we've not done enough or been enough. So either we
try harder to succeed, or we try harder not to care.
When more of what we crave doesn't satisfy
the craving, it means we're going after the wrong thing.
Our definition of success is wrong.
We've been taught to think of success in terms
of achievements: the more impressive our list of achievements, the more
successful we are. (Achievements
are easy to measure and compare — and we do love to compare!)
But there's something wrong with this way of
thinking about success.
Success isn't measured by our
achievements, but by the expression on our faces when no one is watching,
by the peace within our souls, by the good that flows out of our lives to
others.
We see an old man sitting on a rickety porch
with a smile on his face that tells us he has lived a good life, a life
full of loving and caring, of shared joys and griefs. What of his worldly
achievements? They're not impressive by most standards, but he is very
successful.
Success is being to the full who you are
intended to be. Intended by whom? By God, the one who created you.
We are successful and we feel successful
when we are living the lives God intended for us to live — lives in which
God is recognized for who He is.
For when we know who God is, then we know
who we are, and we know how to live — successfully.
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