The Joy of Success

Happy 2021, fellow humans! I hope this brand new year has been treating you well so far. Having survived the rollercoaster year that 2020 was, I think we can all agree that this brand year is absolutely worth celebrating as our giant reset button.

If there’s one thing the global pandemic has taught us, it’s that we need to be crystal clear what it is that truly brings us joy. No, not merely what “sparks joy”, like Marie Kondo says of random household items and pieces of clothing hidden in the back of our wardrobes. This is a different kind of joy – a deep-seated joy that has become so valuable in our minds, only because it seems to have become even more elusive in our world.

Many people are finally realizing that money alone cannot buy you joy. Physical isolation and loss of loved ones have driven home the sober message that we should never take our human relationships (and pets, plants etc!) for granted. At times like these, we finally see that having good health is a luxury we can’t ever put a price tag on; our families and precious family time is something many of us hadn’t noticed we’ve been missing out all along until we start feeling the effects of being overworked. Mental health and wellness never seemed more pertinent until we start experiencing burnout and fatigue on a whole new level after sitting at our computer desks for well over 10 hours a day.

Perhaps the best explanation of what brings us true joy is knowing we’ve succeeded in life. Not the traditional barometers of success like owning fancy houses, cars or job titles.

No.

Don’t get me wrong – those are nice to have, but the most valuable kind of success is the one that fills your SOUL, your very being with an overwhelming sense of contentment.

We’re talking about the real kind of success where you know that you’ve done your part and truly contributed to the world with our lives:

To quote the esteemed Ralph Waldo Emerson,

“What is success? To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the beauty in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you lived here. This is to have succeeded.”

In 2021, I hope all of you find that elusive joy that fills your heart completely. You’ve got this!

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