What Is Your Greatest Success?

by Dyana Ray

What is your greatest success?" This was asked of me in an interview by Janice Wilson, author of "Gift from the Goddess." As I was frantically searching my brain for a GREAT answer, I kept getting a flashing in my head "my children". Still looking for an answer I pushed this aside, yet it still kept coming back. I finally surrendered and responded with surprise in my voice, "my children."

Why was I surprised? It was because my ego was searching for the BIG success that would tell the world I am a success. Almost everyone raises children, and mine are at home, and still pre-teens! Where's the success there? They're not even finished, done, completed! What's even more surprising when it popped into my head is that I've felt I'm an "OK" Mom, certainly not a mother-of-the-year type!

I found it interesting I didn't want to use "being a mom" as my response for my biggest success. I was looking for the most impressive, or largest material/financial success, especially since this was an interview question and the answer I gave would probably be out there for everyone to see! I wanted the answer to have impact! (No ego here!)

While sharing this experience with friends, I realized the majority would automatically look for that biggest success to be financial and/or material.

What is "success"? Webster defines it as a favorable or satisfactory outcome or result. (Notice it didn't say perfect) It is also defined as the gaining of material wealth, fame, rank, etc.
Even though we recognize success in many ways, most of us don't consider ourselves successful unless we have lots of money, a new car every year or two, designer labels and all the newest toys on the market that are the appearance of financial success. Yet, how many of this same group are living from paycheck to paycheck, are in debt and/or have bad credit?

 Keeping up with the Joneses and what the rest of the world expects of us can be expensive! And at what real cost: to our finances, our families, to ourselves? (If you can't figure that one out or want to get a different perspective, read Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicky Robin.)

Do we acknowledge our creative successes even when they may not result in financial success?

Do we see the success we have achieved in an "unfinished" creation?

Or do we see only the incompleteness, the imperfections, instead of accepting the beauty and success of what has already been accomplished? After all, you've succeeded in creating it to this point.

SUCCESS QUIZ
WHAT DOES "SUCCESS" MEAN TO YOU?

Does your definition of success only include financial/material and work or career?

If you didn't have the career or material wealth, would you be able to define who you are?

Do you acknowledge daily successes, or only count the big ones?

Do you feel successful when you:

•  learn something new?
•  mow the yard?
•  arrange a vase of flowers?
•  bring a smile to someone's face?
•  play with your children or grandchildren?
•  bake cookies?
•  clean the bathroom?
•  get quiet time in a bathtub full of luxurious bubbles?
•  review your life and acknowledge what you have achieved, even
  when it may not have been the life you thought it would be?
•  recognize, acknowledge and accept something new about yourself?
•  when you finally reach the other side of the "hell" you've been through and find what was
  gained in the process?
•  accept and love yourself?

Will financial and material wealth/prosperity continue to be the guides by which you define success? Or will you open your mind and your heart and allow yourself to acknowledge and accept all of your successes?
It's Your Choice!

P.S. Today, my first success is finally completing this article on time after several days of starting and getting interrupted!

Dyana resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her two daughters and is an independent distributor for Young Living Essential Oils. For consultations and speaking engagements, call 702-228-7118. Website: www. mysticalenlightenments.com