Purposeful Point: If you’re not experiencing a satisfying and fulfilling life, it may be time to redirect your aim by redefining success.

Dictionary points to the popular  and well-accepted definition of success in our Western culture:

• the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame.

If this sounds like the ‘whoever collects the most toys’ wins syndrome, you’re not far off.  So often, we in our Western culture equate our success with our financial results. The more we make, the more we earn, the more we have on our balance sheet, the more successful we are. So, often times this materialistic view or definition of success drives us into a vicious circle of doing more and more to acquire more and more.

This vicious circle is evidenced by the response that J. D. Rockefeller was reported to have given when asked how much would be enough.  He replied, “Just a little bit more.” And similarly when Barbara Walters once asked Ted Turner, “What do you mean by success?  What, to you, is being successful?”  His response:  “Well, I think it’s kind of an empty bag, to tell the truth. To a large degree it is. But you have to get there to really know that. I mean, money doesn’t buy happiness and neither does honor or position and awards or trophies.”

In our next series of podcasts we’ll be exploring this vicious circle and how we can use the Life On Purpose Perspective to regain a sense of balance and purpose.

So, how might we redefine success to be more in alignment with living a life on purpose? Well, it starts by moving from a having or doing based definition of success to a being-based definition. I know that may sound strange so let me explain. Also you can find a more detailed exploration of this in the free online video series, Clarity of Purpose: Don’t Live Life without It at www.wbradfordswift.com/lop.

Like I’ve said before our current definition of success is based in what we have — our finances, the acquisition of stuff, etc. And that can trap us into the doing/having/doing/having vicious circle. But it’s important to remember we’re human beings first and foremost, not human doings.

From the Life On Purpose Perspective, we say that one’s true or Divinely Inspired Life Purpose is more about who we are as spiritual beings and what we came here to be and to experience. Knowing who we are as spiritual beings then shapes what actions we see to take that are consistent with who we are, which then leads to results consistent with who we are as well.

So, what if we redefined success to be the person who lives most in alignment with their true, Divinely Inspired Life Purpose as being the most successful. This could even shift our perspective on what it is to be truly productive.

Today’s podcast is brought to you by the Life On Purpose Virtual Video Coach. It’s now possible to bring clarity of purpose to your life from anywhere in the world and at your own pace and on your schedule.

The Virtual Video Coach is an online video program made up of succinct and powerful coaching sessions where I, Brad Swift, guide you step by step through the 6 Passages that make up the Life On Purpose Process.

You can even receive personal individualized coaching from one of our Life On Purpose Coaches with the VVC Premium option. For more information go to:

www.wbradfordswift.com/lop/virtualcoach

Upon ordering enter the coupon code ‘podcast’ and receive 10% off your purchase of either the basic or premium option.

Learn more at www.lifeonpurposecoachingtips.com. Also, you can record your message about living on purpose there to be answered by the Swifts in a future podcast.

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