Material success is being triumphant and victorious, an achiever. A non-achiever is called a loser. The human mind always pines to be associated with success and wants to be in the company of successful people. That is the characteristic or chitta of the mind.
Spiritual success is equivalent to success at an internal level. A state where results do not matter. One is oblivious to the final outcome. A seeker gives his 100 per cent and is satisfied and contented with that, by continuously doing his sadhana or practice.
In case an individual is a practitioner of yoga, he would unflinchingly follow the path of Ashtanga Yoga (the eight limbs) as laid down by sage Patanjali. These include Yama, Niyama, Aasana, Pranayama, Pratayahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.
Similarly, an unalloyed follower of the Art of Living will unfailingly follow the path of sadhana, Sudarshan Kriya, satsang, seva, meditation and silence. Material or spiritual, success has a few common traits.
Successful people enhance their productivity through relentless practice and honing their skills. Skills are augmented through continuously updating knowledge, reading quality literature, evolving with the latest technology, being alert and aware of the rapidly changing environment.
An eye for the specifics separates the chaff from the grain. An achiever minutely captures in his/ her memory all that is unfolding around him without missing even the minutest detail.
Most importantly, successful people work in teams. The synergy of teams breeds positive thoughts and originality. This infuses fresh impetus and visualisation which are extremely useful for the self and the organisation. Successful individuals are synthesisers, like ants, who work to build beautiful anthills.
Resolution is the positive intent, resolve or aspiration to give a 100 per cent to achieve the targeted goal. Before treading the path, one should feel grateful and blessed.
Effort, skill and courage are prerequisites brewing this heady cocktail. Successful people tap the potential from the depths of their minds and hearts and conquer the fear of failure in the process. They overcome negative emotions like fear and anxiety. This was the hallmark of our ancient sages and rishis. Their minds were not clouded by negativity or ineffectual thoughts.
Successful individuals foster friendships and build trust. There is no deficit in trust. They respect colleagues and only symphony is orchestrated in the environment.
Those who are high-end achievers are not driven only by wealth or traditional definitions of success. They are drivers in pursuit of excellence and are continuous learners. For them, sky is the only limit to the repository of knowledge. The mind needs to soar to the point of apogee.
Achievers surround themselves with positive oriented people and positive thoughts, since negative emotions are a big drain on the resources. It is important to ascertain positive feedback and build on the synergy of the group.
A successful person has to necessarily be positively inclined and upend the obstacles faced in life by adopting a robust and efficacious attitude. He needs to beat procrastination and eliminate all unnecessary work.
It is paramount that such an individual is revolutionary in thinking, open to ideas and keeps abreast of the latest technologies. The prana or energy levels of such an individual should be high and should be receptive to listening and not just to hearing advice.
Such individuals are effective, confident, and energetic and connect with their superiors, peers and juniors. They should be clear headed and maintain their balance and humility.
Successful people always focus their attention on the goal. They do not indulge in the blame game and are willing to accept responsibility for their failures. They seldom miss the journey for the destination.
They are risk takers, investors and secure in their thinking and are willing to be creative, have a divergent opinion and are imaginative in their thought process. Whenever they undertake an activity it is preceded by a SWOT analysis.
They are willing to diversify on their experiences and come up with fresh ideas and not just look at the world through the prism of self-fulfillment.
The most important trait of a successful person is that he or she knows and appreciates that every achievement and act is transitory in nature and that it too shall pass. Acceptance of the fact that everything in life is transient bolsters the mental robustness of individuals who are polymaths.
They are prepared to accept the fact that they could encounter misadventure in life; but that does not deter them from continuing with their pursuit.
“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life — think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success,” said Swami Vivekananda.
