What Is The Key To Success In Life?
I do not believe, in fact, that there is a general key, a sort of passe-partout that can open every door. Success is a personal matter and the worst way to achieve it is to rely on the definitions of others. On the contrary, this is one of the best ways to deal with unhappiness if you are constantly wondering ‘how can I be happy again‘. One must therefore seek one’s own egocrete (a personal secret).
Arriving at your own definition will not be easy. As has been said, all the general definitions must be purified: cultural, geographical, historical or religious definitions must be discarded. Everyone will want to transfer their vision to you, especially the society in which you live, but with you, most likely, the rule will not work.
You will find yourself having achieved all the goals set, but inside you will still have a feeling of emptiness. [1] It will be like filling your car with gas for a lifetime and discovering only at the end of owning an electric motor. The result will only be a very heavy machine full of unnecessary stuff.
The beautiful story of the fisherman transferred by Gabriele Giordano is an excellent starting point to define the concepts of erroneous and personal.
After reading it, in fact, one is led to think that everything was wrong, and how much deep wisdom is hidden in the words of the fisherman. But what would have happened if everyone had followed that approach since the dawn of human civilization?
Probably the life expectancy would be 20 years (everyone to enjoy it by boat instead of studying medicine). Which boat, which ones do you love, which guitar, which wine would have been appreciated by that man if nobody had bothered to learn, work and refine every instrument more and more?
Most likely then, we would live under a bloody dictatorship (why study, grow or fight for our rights? Better a good glass of wine at the bar).
That definition may be fine for the fisherman, but he hopes it will be healthy for the rest of his life. If you need a doctor, you’ll need to make sure that you blow up all your idyllic tick: catch more fish, sell them, spend less time in the bar or with your children. At that point, the road to becoming the businessman who now mocks will be very short if you think and grow rich both mentally and in reality.
In short, the story works, but only if very few people put it into practice. What is needed, however, is a world capable of believing in other approaches, even if only to allow the fisherman to descend to the village (by the way, how does the wine pay for it?).
Back to the question. Finding one’s own definition of success requires complex study and self-analysis, and this often lasts a lifetime.
It’s a bit like composing a melody. We have to find all the notes that can make our souls vibrate in a positive way. For the little that is worth, I wish you all the best for your very personal search. I sincerely hope that you will be able to find your keys, especially today, in a world full of misleading recipes.
