Think It Thru :: Success is Tuff Stuff!

"Success is determined by how you handle your setbacks."  -Anonymous

I've always wondered what success truly is.  Is it never missing your scheduled workout?  Is it the amount of financial cushion one has at the local credit union?  Is it having your planned number of children before the age of 30?  If it's any of these, then I get a big fat F on my success report card. 

You see, I always miss a workout, I have a very flat financial cushion and I didn't have one child before I was 30! (And I thought I'd be married and have 3 kids by 26!  Come on, laugh with me!)  What I have come to realize in the past few weeks, is that success needs to be measured daily on various fronts.  For instance.  Here is beautiful Montreal *cough cough*, it gets awfully cold in the winters, thus my 5kms five times a week died with the cold weather.  I don't even have a tread mill to combat that ... so the past few weeks, I have been warming up on my runs alongside the Spring weather.  Take today for instance, probably the best run to date.  Did I run solid for 5km?  No.  Did I break a sweat?  Absolutely.  (Bonus point - sweating 30mins/day rejuvenates your skin!  Just sayin'!)  The point is, I got out of bed at 5:45am, put on the gear and set out.  I wasn't too sure what the outcome would be, but I knew I had succeeded once I stepped out the door, runners on and seeing the road ahead of me.

Sometimes it's like that in our daily life, no?  Life seems to be constanting 'raining' on our parade ... or sending storm after storm and we feel as if we will never be 'that' successful.  I've had to re-adjust my thinking to the truth on this front.  And thank goodness for fatherly advice!  King David was on his death bed when he gave the following advice to his son Solomon ...

1 Kings 2:3
CEV: Do what the LORD your God commands and follow his teachings. Obey everything written in the Law of Moses. Then you will be a success, no matter what you do or where you go.

THE MSG: Do what God tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you'll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go.

King David lived enough and had the experience to know the importance of setting things straight.  His story is a mirror of many in todays world as well.  He didn't tell his son "Build yourselves big armies, gain wealth and status".  No, he knew that real success came from walking in the Light.  And for most of Solomon's life he followed his father's advice and did just that.  He asked for wisdom and discernment in order to lead well.  That my friend, is success.

If you have walked closely enough with me and my family over the past 10-12 years, you may know a portion, if not all of the storms I have walked through.  I would say I've had my share.  In fact, we have ALL had our share I know.  However, I am no longer able to blame the storms, for my 'lack' of success.  In fact, those storms were allowed ON PURPOSE!  (That's a whole other blogpost for sure!)  It is how I choose to stand up and continue on. 
 
So how are you handling your setbacks today?  What truth are you placing in front of you to order your success?  Come, run with me and we'll work on succeeding one step at a time together!!
 
PS ... But then you knew all this already, right?