Trophies

When we attain success, does our level of success require trophies? Success can be measured in various ways and are all uniquely defined by the individual.

Some may say, success is what is in the trophy cabinet or perhaps what is in the bank account.  I assure you that type of success is only for ones ego and vanity. Success in which one only wants fame, fortune and the plaques on the wall will forever chase happiness as they are constantly trying to inflate their egos by showing off ones achievements. 

I believe however, that ones success should be shared with those who have helped you get to the top of the mountain. That includes your family, your close friends and those who never truly believed in you. Success should not be focused on your achievements but the impact that you’ve had on the world around you, the impact on the people around you and what you’ve been able to do in your position of “power”.  Selflessly, I think people should strive to set goals in which can impact on the lives around them. Not just their own, through the levels of success, from rags to riches or from a nobody to a somebody. It should be the job of a successful person to bring people up with them, to empower those close to you.

It shouldn’t be all about you.

See, you should be striving to say look what I’ve been able to do. Not just look at what I’ve been able to achieve. 

However, those who tend to be stuck in their 9-5 job earning minimum wage and achieving very little because all they do is push papers, will tend to have negative vibes towards the successful person as they envy their position.  This causes a bridge between the two especially when the egotistical successful entrepreneur tends to look down on everyone else who aren’t quite “on their level.”

If you are successful, remain humble. Even if no one believed in you or supported you.

It is not your job to ridicule those people. For you are a dreamer, you put in the hard work that no one thought you could, let alone what they could put in. You made it. You manifested your dreams into reality.

But showing your love and appreciation to those who always had your back from the very beginning is what you must do. Because if you truly endured the trying times and the failures before you finally got it right… These people were there for you, these people believed in you, these people loved you while you were a failure. Take care of these people, like they took care of you and you don’t need any trophies for that kind of success. 

For if your family is living good, for if your friends are living good. Is that not all that matters?

I don’t want to be successful for me, I don’t have anything to prove to anybody. I just want to take care of everyone that stood by me when things got hard, when I did the wrong thing and these people were able to overlook my past transgressions. Those are MY PEOPLE. I take care of my people and they don’t have an award for that.

See, I believe in giving more than you take. For what you give is more rewarding as anyone can steal, rob and take from others. That is not hard, however giving is much harder as you have to have something to give. Whether it may be love, your time or perhaps even your money. If you give it to the right people for the right reasons you will be rewarded ten fold. Simply, because eventually you will see your whole team winning and nothing will ever compare to shared success.

There is a catch however.

You cannot give everything away or give to everyone. For they do not truly support you or are happy for your success nor will you have anything for yourself.

You must stay vigilant of those on your team. For they will take any opportunity to turn around and stab you in the back for they envy your success. Those who are grateful to just be in your life or were there when you had nothing will always have your back when you had nothing. When people forgive you for your mistakes and still want you to be part of your life despite your mistakes, you should value these people for they have seen value in you in order to forgive you. Do not forget this. For many people, they choose not to have anything to do with you if you do not benefit them.

But when you are at your lowest and you have nothing to give and they are still by your side recognize these peoples efforts and give back to them. Be thankful, show your appreciation and let these people be the reason why you want to succeed in life.

To see adversity as an opportunity to turn negative situations into positive images empowers others to know that where they currently are is not always where they will end up.

Let those around you motivate you to succeed. Let the negative comments of others, be the reason why you need to succeed for you have a point to prove.

See, I want to give to a society that gave me nothing. For if I gave nothing, I would be no better than those who choose to give nothing. For people are glad to hear that you have problems simply because they are glad you have them.

I do not want anyone to feel alone in this world. We must all take care of one another and give back.

If a wise man has told you something, it is no good for you to keep that wisdom to yourself. For he, who is wise, finds it more valuable to share the wisdom around in order to empower others. For he does not see the world as a competition but as a constant learning process in which we must tend to build on.

For the people before us, have shared their knowledge willingly, in order for society to evolve. The professors. The doctors. The businessmen.  The investors. The lawyers. The motivators. The teachers. For we cannot move forward without giving back to society, without putting forth knowledge learnt throughout our lives.

Sometimes, success doesn’t end with a trophy-laden cabinet. But one thing is for sure, success comes with wisdom and knowledge through experience and this knowledge is the key to future success for others.

Put it to good use. Use the money and fame to steer the misguided into the right direction. Teaching, however unrecognized power it may have in this world, has the power to turn the weak into strong, the unsuccessful into “overnight “ successes and the rags to riches.

“Knowledge is only potential power. It becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action, and directed to a definite end.”
- Napoleon Hill

Knowledge is power, share these power with others. Do not let greed stop you, for if you are good at what you do, you will not fear others ability to do the same as you. For if you are the best, you will always have the power, but if you are creative you will always look for ways to capitalize on ideas others are yet to come to terms with. 

If they are part of your team, do not fear their potential. For they could help you create an empire stronger than the Romans. For if you have a team who constantly look to help to build further on the strong foundation in which you have provided and is built on love rather than negative energy. For as long as you work together in harmony.. No amount of harm could ever bring down the dynasty in which you are creating. For it is built not on jealousy or negative emotions but built on the strongest of emotions, of the strongest bonds, love. For these people, trophies do not matter. Happiness is the key to their success. If their family and friends are taken care of what more could they ask for? For he, who has happiness, has everything.

I do it, because I have to.

And there’s no award for that.

Trophies - Drake