It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of success when it’s defined as wealth, status, and personal achievements. After all, we’ve been conditioned on so many different levels to believe that succeeding means, essentially, “bettering” our peers or checking off a predetermined checklist of goals. But there is now a growing revolution defining what success really is. Instead of personal achievement, more people have recognized the goal of making a difference for others.
Altered Insight
Success has been measured in concrete terms as advancements, recognition awards, and monetary gains. Yet research shows that many people are contented with their lives if they have made a contribution for something more significant than themselves. As stated by the Pew Research Center survey, nearly 70% of Americans believe that helping others is an essential part of a meaningful life. This is a shown indication of how points of view are changing as the value of personal success now weighs against the impact one makes in one’s community and the world.
The Power of Making a Difference
Not all making a difference efforts have to be elaborate grand humanitarian missions overnight to save the world. It could be as simple as being a good neighbor, volunteering at a local shelter, or mentoring a young person. Such acts create ripples that will go a long way in transforming lives.
The study done at the University of California, Berkeley, revealed that altruistic behaviors result in increased happiness and welfare. It further establishes that this giving back advances not only the other person but also provides an enrichment for us.
Benefits of Community Building
Improving Our Community Skills When we try to make a difference, we create the sense of community and belonging. As the achievement is publicly broadcasted via social media, it becomes rather easy to keep feeling isolated in this digitally active world. When we focus on the good of the collective, however, we build stronger bonds and better support systems.
Harvard Business Review noted a study which proved employees who felt a sense of belonging in their organization were 56% more productive and 50% more likely to stay in their job. This statistic represents community: Lifting others up, we also lift ourselves up.
Defining What Personal Objectives Are
Once we shifted our focus from proving ourselves right to others, we began to see how much of a difference that made in how we set personal objectives, and began to center the objectives around things that actually help society. For instance, rather than desire a promotion as an end in itself, we are looking for leadership positions through which we can inspire, motivate, and lift others. This diminishes angst and disappointment with the journey; we find meaning and purpose in our work and relationships .
Conclusion
Success is redefined by the simple understanding that making a difference is greater than proving someone else wrong. This would set a life of more purpose and more meaningfulness within it because there would be an impact we could make on other people’s lives. Taking care of the greater good, as well as helping others to bring joy to them, is much more fulfilling than any trophy or title. A better world for all and fulfilling our own lives will happen because we were embracing this new definition of success. So, let’s change the paradigm from competition to compassion and therefore redefine success itself.
