Written by: Stacey Henry-Carr, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
“If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” – Steve Jobs.
How do you define success? Has your definition of success changed over the years? Twenty-three years ago, I attended a seminar facilitated by a husband-and-wife team. Looking back, they seemed to have been privy to some impactful wisdom. It was during that seminar my 27-year-old self created my what success is for me list. At 27 years old, as I was navigating the world, I narrowed down my success to seventeen bullet points. My bullet points were not dinner table discussions growing up. My family did not build my framework for success. Yet, I was able to pull what would make me successful from within me.
Many of us allow our definition of success to come from external sources. Many of us follow through with living someone else’s dreams and expectations. Often we do this in conflict with our true desires. We all have internal powers that can catapult us to our desired levels of success. We first must be able to define what success means to us. If you search for ingredients of success, you will find many gurus with their version. The only version that matters is the one you know is true for you. The elements of success that you can support and follow.
Twenty-three years later, I decided to pull out my success list and see what my younger self was thinking. My list had my hidden desires of things from different areas of my life. I listed the countries I wanted to visit. You must know I traveled to three of the five countries. I was specific about getting married and having two children. I can successfully check that off the list. My list surprised me and validated the idea that once you put it out into the universe, it starts working for you. There were things on my list like, learn to play the piano and dance ballet. However, my favorite is the bullet that says, “Have a positive impact on someone’s life.” When I woke up a few months ago with a genuine desire to learn how to play the piano and called to schedule lessons, I had forgotten that I declared it so many years ago. And when I wake up daily setting an intention to positively impact my client’s life, it was aligned in the stars.
It’s mind-blowing to realize that how I show up in the world today was orchestrated by my inner guidance at such a young age. There are many of the defined success components that I accomplished or are in progress now. When I look at this list, I have a heightened sense of excitement and joy. The exhilaration comes from the thought that my younger self knew what would potentially fulfill my life. It is also thoughts of manifested dreams that excite me since I only revisited this list twice over the 23 years since I wrote it.
So, why am I telling you this story about my seventeen bullet point success list? It is to encourage you that the success that you desire is attainable. It is to be your cheerleader for all things possible. You are the curator of your destiny. It starts with your thoughts, which create your feelings, then fuel your actions. It is within your efforts that you will find your success.
Start by removing the limiting beliefs that hold you back from creating the life you desire. There are many different life-changing modalities that you can use to help you through this process. The beauty is that regardless of what you choose, you will gain better self-awareness.
How do you define success? Here are a few steps to get you started:
Acknowledge that you deserve success and success belongs to you.
Identify the things that are keeping you from taking action.
Get help with replacing limiting beliefs.
Write a list of things that you would do if you had unlimited resources.
From your list, identify the things that align with your values and gives you peace of mind.
Know what you are willing to give up to succeed.
Visualize your life with success.
Affirm yourself daily with unshakeable conviction. “I believe in my ability to succeed.”
Success is living from the inside out. It is the feeling of joy and having an attitude of success that has paved the way. The external world does not define success. It is having a balance between your inner knowing and your true self. As you take the journey to your successful life that you define and create, remember to journey with joy and help someone along the way.
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Stacey Henry-Carr, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Stacey Henry-Carr is an ex-corporate leader who now helps people identify, interrupt, and replace blockers to live more meaningful and intentional lives. She is a Jay Shetty Certified Life Coach, Marisa Peer Certified Hypnotherapist, and an author of "Live Your Truth and Break the Cycle." She practices authentic leadership and servitude in everything she does. She has always had a passion for helping others to become their best selves.
She has a passion for reading, writing, traveling, dancing, singing off-key, and the beach. She spends her days coaching clients, writing, and creating meditation recordings. Stacey has overcome her life challenges which have strengthened her will to serve others. She believes that her true legacy to her children will be the lives she has touched by motivating and inspiring others to change. She writes inspiring quotes such as "Visualize what you desire and laugh out loud as if it is already accomplished."
