Friday, March 2, 2012

Life After Success

Last week my friend Carolyn asked if her blog readers believe people change once they have succeeded in achieving important goals. This is not a new question for me, but for some reason, Carolyn’s has stuck with me all week. It’s on my mind, apparently.

I told her (and her readers) that I think to some degree, everyone changes. When you set a goal and reach that goal, it's inevitable that something inside you grows and becomes more than it was as you were looking to achieve it.


However, it is up to the individual person to decide what they do with that change. Will you let it go to your head? Will you treat people differently? Will you allow all your time to be swallowed by new things? Will you make or find time for the people or projects that matter to you, even if you can't see a benefit?


Some of us will be fundamentally different once we find that success for which we've so long reached.


But some of us, even in changed circumstances, will remain fundamentally the same. We may be busier. We may have more things on which to focus. We may even have to reevaluate where our priorities lie. But we will still be that person who once struggled to reach a goal. And we will strive to NEVER forget how we got there or how difficult that journey was.


I pray every day that when I find my success, it will change me only for the better, and that I will never, ever be tempted to forget those people who have been so important to me.

(Yep, that’s pretty much my blog comment, word for word.)

What about you? Have your current successes changed you at all? In which ways? And do you think future successes will continue to change you on a core level?

7 comments:

LM Preston said...

Successes sometimes dive you into creating larger goals, but also reveal a part of yourself more clearly - like, "Gosh, I actually did it. What now?"

Angie said...

I too hope for changes for the better. I think (or hope) that I will always have some new goal I am striving for.

Jemi Fraser said...

I do have a bit of a fear of success - and this is part of it. I don't want to have some of the issues I've seen some struggle with. But, I'm a pretty grounded person & I think it would take a lot to make me change that much!

David P. King said...

I didn't know you had a blog now! Sweet. I'm super glad I found it.

I agree, people change all the time. What matters is how you change. :)

Carolyn V said...

I agree too, it's how you change.

I talked over the post with my crit group and they said that they think whatever change happens is because it was with the person all along, it's just emphasized more.

That thought was very interesting to me. I hope I only change for the best. I hope I can be more humble and helpful. It would make me sad to think I wouldn't. ;)

J.R. Johansson said...

Great post. I hope the same things will be true for myself. Changing only for the better sounds like a most excellent plan. :)

Anonymous said...

I do believe people change. It's their choice--whether they realize it or not--how they will change but they do. They kind of have to. Life changes. Business changes. Pressure and commitments change. We HAVE to change. But hopefully, we can hold on to what is important and who really matters.