People and brands make a lot of promises. Buy this thing, and you can have it all. Watch this show, and you can have it all. Read this book, sign up for this program, take this course, go to this guru, take this trip, etc. and you can have it all! But can you? Should you? And, what does having it all look like anyway?
We all want success, but we rarely define what that looks like. When is the last time you thought about what having it all would look like in great detail? Where would you live? How would you live? Do you need millions in the bank, or do you need the company of a great friend, finding happiness in the warmth of their laughter?
I think success (having it all) is about living a life of minimal regrets. I’m 100% certain that at the end of my life I will never look back and wish I had bought a bigger house or a nicer car. But, I am certain that I will look back and wish I could have afforded to send each of my kids to college debt free. I will not regret that I didn’t buy more things, but I will regret the places that I didn’t get to see in person. I will not regret a lack of time in the office, but I will regret a lack of time in my home, soaking up every minute I can with my family.
For me, having it all means providing for my family’s needs completely, with a little left over for family adventures to create memories. It also means being able to have a huge impact on the world and the well being of others. Those are my measures of success.
What are your measures of success?