Each day we wake, do our things, and settle down for the night. Rinse and repeat—day after day. What we fit into our days is totally up to us. Whether you believe outside forces are at play and controlling your life is up to you, but that’s not always the case. Ultimately, we are the stewards of our lives, and like any good steward (I do like using that word. I don’t hear it often), we need to take care of ourselves.

I’ve read quite a few words on why or how people become successful. Some are part of the “5:00 a.m. club” and plan their days to the second and achieve greatness that way. Others follow a meandering path they laid out and live happy lives with great success. Either way, what was toiled upon for years has become a reality.  That’s the secret to success.

But before all that, the surefire way to success is to figure out what you want. Once you discover the answer to “What means something to you?” you get to choose which way you will proceed on life’s path. Each person’s definition of success is different. Success could be believing in yourself and loving your life, no matter what you do, drive, or have. To me, success equates to being authentic and happy, not all about how much money you can amass. Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you’re truly happy. 

It troubles me when I have experiences with people I’ve known for years (who attained monetary success in life), and they judge others poorly who aren’t at the same financial status. Sadly, that’s when you know that no amount of money will ever make them happy because they never found success with that first.

If you ponder the question, “What means something to you?” and are like me and want to live a life surrounded by beautiful people, pets, and things, it’s essential to allow love to rise to the surface when choosing your path. Stepping on people, making fun of others less fortunate, tearing someone down, abusing children or animals, and thinking you’re better than someone else who doesn’t have what you have, will not bring happiness or peace of mind. People may not even be aware they are abusing and hurting others, but deep down, they struggle. It may be a constant need to have things or do actions that aren’t so good for them. The yuck has to come out some way. We can’t assume that because someone appears to be living a perfect life, they are. Perfection doesn’t exist, only our subjective perception of what that means.

I sincerely hope whoever reads this takes a beat and asks, “What means something to me?” Your answer shows what’s most important to you. It might even give you insight into things you hadn’t thought of. Let it pull out of you what you truly want from this one life.

Life will always give us clues about what is right for us. An illness might be telling us to stop being around negative people and change our thinking. Anxiety can reflect a deep-seated resentment we’ve never addressed. Our minds do play a significant role in our health.

Asking yourself, “What means something to you?” will help you hear life whispering the answers so you can live a happy one.

Thank you for reading. I do appreciate it.

To listening to our voices,

Francesca