Originally Posted: Defining Success

***When I returned to Chicago 3.5 years ago for my surgery, I started a blog as one place all family and friends could go to read updates on my health. I then realized it was also a way of promoting awareness. Shortly after that, I started a second blog, for the purpose of sharing my faith. As time went on, I became convicted about something.

It was wrong of me to separate the two, as my faith, Jesus, is the absolute reason for my strength in getting through this. I could not exclude Him from my health blog even if others suggested to do so. Thus, I started talking more about my faith on my main blog. Now, many times, it's more about Him than me, which is where I came up with the current title 'About Me, Not About Me'. This story may be about me, but really it's not about me, it's about Him. That old blog still sits out there no longer being used. So I decided over time I will begin to move those posts from there to here to have everything in one place.

In just beginning to read some of my first posts, I've realized the amount of work God has truly done in me. A lot of times we hate the journey and want to get to our next destination, but it is in that very journey that God molds you into who He created you to be.***

Originally Posted: February 8, 2014
Defining Success

Are you successful?

How you answer that is based off of how you define success.

So how do you define success?

Do you define success as being a CEO of a top company, and yet you are just a mid-level employee having trouble moving up? Then I guess no, you cannot consider yourself successful.

Do you define success as having "things" and you have many of them yet you are deeply in debt because of it, but you don't care about that debt? Then I guess yes, you can consider yourself successful. 

Perhaps deep inside you don't feel such a thing is truly success, in your eyes it is different, but you become blinded by what others think and want for you. Your definition of success is skewed based off of how you were raised, your environment, society and even the media.

So what truly is success? Is there any common ground to base a definition or goal to attain off of? And, does it matter?

I think at the end of the day, success, achievement, strength, beauty, every thing- comes down to the bottom line of what you believe in, morals, what is absolutely more important than anything else to you.

For me, that is God. If I place my eyes on Him and let Him be my guide, I know I cannot go wrong. He is the one constant in life. The One and only who will never leave or forsake me. The one unchangeable. The everlasting, omnipresent God. So truly, if I want to be successful, I should base it off His will for me. That will give me something to go after, something to strive for, not based on materialist things or worldly ever changing society filled with confusion. It will be based off the One and only who knows what's best for me. And if I want to be successful, it seems there would be no other way to reach it than that. 

What is God calling you to do? We all have spiritual gifts, we just have to find them. Your spiritual gift(s) will lead you to what you should be doing in life. That may be a job that fits into how society defines success, or it may be helping others without getting paid at all. It may fit along with how you define success or what you desire to do in life, or it may not. But truly if you find your calling and follow it, I don't think you can go wrong, because God will be there every step of the way and it is His purpose for you. If we all lived for His purpose, what a beautiful peaceful world this would be.

In society's eyes, am I successful? Let's see. I do not have a job that pays a regular income, I do not own a house, I do not have my own family. Society could very well say I'm a failure. 

I am not a failure. What happened to me is not a result of my own doing. I was extremely successful in society's eyes in college. I was on my way to what I thought would be an amazing future. Then the world came crashing down. Guess what? That amazing future still exists. Because my success isn't based off of a job, another person, or money. My success is based off of God. God is with me. God is leading my way. God is the glory of anything good I do. God gives me the words to say and when to say them. God touches others through me as I am only a vessel. Whatever His will is for me, let it be done. He sees me as successful. And if you turn your life over to Him, I know He sees you as successful too.

Some may see this as a way out, a way to feel you are worth more than you are. But again, what is worth? What does it ALL come down to at the end of the day? For me, it's God. He is my judge. He is who I live for. So others can kick me down and tear me apart and tell me I'm not good enough, but God is right there telling me yes I am and He works for the good of those who love Him. I love Him. 

So how do you define success, and is it an ever lasting, never changing, brightest light that ever existed to rest your definition upon? If so, go get it! God is with you.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
    and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3