Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Initially upon reading this quote, I thought… “what have I sacrificed in order to be successful?” Then, I realized that this is not the point of this statement. It’s not about sacrifice, it’s about growth! I have given up an old way of thinking for my success. I am now successful because I have given up fears and doubts and worrying! My god, did I ever use to worry about every little thing. I no longer try to manipulate the world around me and control circumstances that are not mine to meddle with. I have given up stress and agony that came from not being true to myself.

I release fear, doubt and worry. I give myself permission to be happy.

I’ve always known that working for myself as an artist was my true calling. My family, friends and peers would tell me otherwise. To think that I used to seriously consider their perspective! I was told that I needed to get a “real” job with a salary and a 401k, health benefits and vacation days. I was told that I needed to be realistic and practical and that my passion to be artistically expressive was simply a hobby. I was encouraged to find artistic or creative jobs, but the undertone was always that I needed something steady, conventional and consistent. Oh, did I rebel! I am not a fan of routine or monotony. While I love tedious tasks, I have to change it up from one tedious task to another in order to truly be happy. That much I’ve always known about myself and have never doubted.

I tried to work at print shops as a designer. I tried working for marketing companies. I even spent five years at an art supply company in the marketing and merchandising departments. Because I’ve always taken pride in a job well done, I have always been really good at my job. But, I was never really happy working for someone else, making someone else’s dreams come true. In fact, my resumé from my twenties shows that I didn’t stay at a job for more than nine months. I would get discouraged by the monotony and quit. I insist on spontaneity and a flexible lifestyle. I embrace change and admire growth. Going to work at the same place, doing the same tasks, during the same hours of the same days of the week is the opposite of spontaneity and flexibility. It has never mattered how enjoyable the actual job was.

My point is that I gave up all of that discouragement and dissatisfaction and devoted my energy to making my dreams come true. I stopped worrying about the “what ifs” that were out of my control. I no longer care what other people do or say and I don’t let it affect my life. I am in tune with what I can do with my life; what I can make happen; what I can say about myself; and what my life should be like. I have given up trying to please others, and I am now successful at making myself happy. I have let go of the idea that I have to live the way society dictates, and I am now successfully doing what I love to do for a living. I have let go of the stress and agony of trying to please others and have found so much joy and pleasure within myself. I am successful because I am able to see beyond what everyone is trying to impose on me. I gave up fear, doubt and worry and my growth is the measurement of my success.

What are you willing to give up in order to be successful? Think beyond material possessions and dig deep into your inner being. What fears can you let go of? What doubts and worries do you have that can be put aside? And, how would you define your own personal success? Leave a comment here or over on the Facebook fan page. You can always tweet about it, too. Most importantly, please consider the worth of your dreams and goals. Believe in yourself and take action to make all of your own dreams come true. You will be pleasantly surprised by the gifts you’ll gain and the troubles you’ll have let go.