Beyond Money And Power – Redefining Success In Today's World
- Mar 22, 2023
- 5 min read
Written by: Adrian Holguin, 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.
Perceptions of success can be influenced by a variety of factors, including personal experiences, cultural values, and societal norms. Success is often associated with external markers of achievement such as wealth, status, and power.
However, perceptions of success are highly individualized and can vary depending on one's personal values and priorities.
We will discuss four points of view based on health, time, close relationships, and money as I see them as the main keys to success.
Firstly, some individuals believe that good health is essential for achieving success. For them, health is a critical component of success. In order to achieve their goals and dreams, they believe that a healthy body and mind are essential. The success of these people is not just about external markers of achievement, but also about being physically and mentally fit, which allows them to fully enjoy life. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, practicing stress-reduction activities like meditation, and getting enough sleep maybe some of the ways they prioritize their health. As part of their health maintenance, they may also prioritize regular medical checkups and preventative care. Over the past few years, society and people around the world, especially with COVID, have given more importance to health. They realize that if you don't have health or if you're in bad shape, it could prevent you from living your best days or living your last.
Secondly, some people view time as a valuable and finite resource, and they achieve success by making the most of it. In their opinion, true success comes from using their time wisely and productively. Spending time with family and friends, pursuing their passions, or making a positive impact on their community might be among these things. In the eyes of these individuals, success is about being intentional with their time, and not wasting it on things that don't matter. It may be beneficial for them to prioritize setting goals and deadlines to motivate themselves, creating a daily to-do list, and eliminating distractions like social media. In addition, they may prioritize relaxation and rest in order to avoid burnout. Time is a life component that we can't waste, and like health, we can't recover it by changing our habits. From a new point of view, let us be more careful about how we spend our time, living the present, especially with our loved ones and families.
Thirdly, maintaining close relationships with family and friends is crucial to success for some. Their belief is that they achieve true success when they are able to connect with others in a meaningful and strong way. Close relationships bring joy, support, and a sense of belonging to their lives. For these people, personal relationships are essential to their success. They may prioritize spending quality time with loved ones, being present and attentive during conversations, and making an effort to communicate regularly. It may also be important for them to resolve conflicts and disagreements constructively and respectfully. Networking and building closer relationships have become increasingly important in today's world. In a highly connected world, having the right people for the right job can make a real difference not just in business but also in personal relationships.
Finally, financial success is closely linked to success for many people. Having a lot of money. In their view, true success and security are achieved when financial stability is achieved. This might involve having a comfortable lifestyle, being able to pursue their goals and passions, or providing for themselves and their loved ones. In their eyes, success is achieving financial independence and being able to live life on their own terms. They may prioritize budgeting and saving, investing in their education or career, and making smart financial decisions. Money is important, we all know that. In order to make things happen, money must be the motor, but it does not have to be the motivation for all.
I put money last rather than at the beginning for a specific reason. Despite knowing that money is important, I found that the more I chased it, the more I was able to escape from it. Like many people, I thought that the only thing that mattered was it, but when you are through some complicated situations in your life when you do not have access to money immediately, then you realized what it’s really worth in life.
Recently, I faced something similar in my professional life. Sometimes things don't go according to plan, even when everything is going well. Since my access to money diminished, my plan to overcome that difficulty was to first take care of my health. Two main reasons prompted me to do these. First, getting sick would cost me money, and I was struggling at the time, and second, getting very ill would not help me, no matter how much money I have if I get so depressed that I get cancer, or other diseases because of the stress. So health is very important. In the same vein, I chose time, since it wouldn't matter if I had all the money in the world if I spent it working from sunrise to sunrise without taking time for myself, my wife, my son, and then my friends and family. Although I was struggling, they were the only people who stood by me and encouraged me. Relationships are related to this. Having health and time wouldn't matter if I didn't have a good relationship with my wife or friends. With whom would I spend time? What is the point of being in such good shape if you don't have anyone to take care of? You need to be your own priority, but let's take it a step further.
The purpose of money is to maximize what you already have or do in life. It is now known that health, time, and true good relationships cannot be bought with money. In my opinion, it is a maximizer since if you have good health and healthy habits, money cannot buy you anything more than a more luxurious gym membership. When you have already taken care of yourself and your loved ones, money can only be used for doing more fantastic things like traveling or dining out. In relationships, no matter how much money you have, true love and friendship cannot be bought.
There are so many people with a lot of money who are very poor as human beings, and there are also poor people who are insanely rich. It seems like it is more a question of perspective and beliefs than anything else.
In conclusion, perceptions of success are highly individualized and can vary greatly depending on one's personal values and priorities. Some people view success as achieving external markers of achievement, such as wealth and status. However, others define success in terms of health, time, close relationships, or money. What is important is that individuals define success for themselves, based on what is meaningful and important to them. Ultimately, success is a personal journey that requires intentionality, perseverance, and a willingness to prioritize what matters most.
As a final piece of advice, set your own goals and follow your own path to success and never compare yourself with anyone else because in life, the race is with yourself and everyone is watching from their own track.
"Change your thoughts, change your life.”
Adrian Holguin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Adrian Holguin is a leading industry executive and thought leader. Holguin has developed long-term growth strategies for companies in order to increase their revenue. Holguin has collaborated with top executives to understand their demands, develop practical solutions, implement procedures to address your problems, and develop innovations and transformation strategies that create value. Throughout his career, Holguin has worked for international corporations as well as small and medium-sized companies in the food industry. He is dedicated to helping individuals change their mindset so that they can achieve everything that they desire in life. "Change your thoughts, change your life" is his karma.
