Whose Success Is It Anyway?

Let's get touchy-feely for a moment (hey, I live in California, it's part of the corporate culture!), and look at something that can't be measured in dollars earned or press clips. Sure, fame and fortune are important, but...how much do you want to sacrifice for either of those items?

Let's look at fame, first. Let's suppose you create a business based on the premise that you have created a new, improved, bigger, better peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Your name is Pauline, so of course you dub your creation PPBJ. Suddenly movie stars are clamoring for PPBJ to be shipped in cartons to their home. It's being served at the most elite restaurants, next to a scoop of imported caviar. Oprah calls you and invites you on her show. You're a star! You are recognizing wherever you go, magazines interview you, and...nothing has changed in your life. Yes, you're extraordinarily busy. Yes, you receive an inordinate number of phone calls and emails.

But has that fame brought you true friendship and love? Has that fame given you enough time to do what you truly care about, whether that's walking in the woods or reading a book or dining with loved ones or spending time playing with your children?

Now take fortune. What if your business is tremendously profitable, to the point where you can buy anything that you want? You debate about traveling around the world (but then who would manage your business, you ask yourself, so you postpone that vacation)...you contemplate buying a fast new car (but you've already purchased three, and the excitement has died down)...

So has that fortune given you all that you desired? Or have you sacrificed so much for all that money that you're starting to feel it wasn't worth it?

Measure your success by what is meaningful to you....and you'll know when you succeed.