George Bernard Shaw once quipped: “The reasonable man adapts
himself to the world, the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world
to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” Applied to
individual growth and spirituality this capacity to be tenacious and assertive
differentiates the “achievers” form the “also-rans”.
Stimulating the interest of
an individual in a activity towards accomplishment of an aim , The English
Oxford Dictionary very aptly summarizes the “ Motivation for Success”
relationship. Success, assumes different connotations, for all of us
Individuals & a clear
articulation of the same , is
important towards creating the right stimulus , in achieving our defined goals.
I have in the following
note attempted to put down my thoughts
on the ‘ right motivation mix for achieving success; the meaning success has for me as a Individual
& a Professional ; the prime movers
at work in my daily tryst to cultivate a successful career & life .
One of the deepest needs of
human existence is to know that our lives count for something. Our significance
largely depends upon the fact that we were created by God.
However most of us want to
know, whether the gifts and talents bestowed on us is used to make a difference
as we live our lives in a work - a - day world.
Since work is so much a
part of our lives, we want it to be meaningful. To know that our work counts
for something important is to know that we count. That’s why mundane work sucks
the life out of a set of people & leaves them feeling anonymous and
alienated. There is however, a set of people who maybe, perform the same
“mundane jobs” but with a difference.
Their ability to engage the emotional dimension in their work is what makes the
difference; They are emotionally charged because their work allows them to
pursue something they deeply believe in.
The result is .. passion. Tom
Peters once quoted Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s, “You must be able to
see the beauty in a hamburger bun.” Most
so called “sophisticated” professionals laugh when they hear this, but just a
few moments of reflection would make it cleat that Mr Kroc was right. You
cannot become the world leader in a business as a basic as hamburger (or any other) without truly caring,
passionately, about what you do.
The demands placed on every
business in the dynamic times we live in will require that people bring all of
what they are to the game. Actively engaged hearts and minds, unwavering
commitment, laser focus & relentless determination are all motivated by
passion: the key to success in any form and endeavor. Motivation and determination
are crucial to success and passion is the force which fosters this motivation
& determination.
Success for me is about professionalism, it is about less
attention to career and career optimization than to whether I am developing as
a professional and making a contribution in my chosen vocation. My motivation
for success has been fueled by an underlying need for continual self -improvement,
because I believe professionalism is about pursuit of excellence, not just
competence. It is about caring… caring for a cause and not merely one’s own benefits.
Believing passionately in what one does; being uncompromising on ones standards
& values, aiming for excellence, are but the building blocks on which
rests any successful endeavor, accomplishment.
To quote, Stephen
Birmingham “What is known as success assumes nearly as many aliases as there
are those who seek it. Like Love, it can come to commoners as well as courtiers.
Like virtue, it is its own reward. Like the Holy Grail, it seldom appears to
those who don’t pursue it.”
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