What is success? When I looked it up on www.dictionary.com it gave me two definitions: 1) the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors 2) the attainment of wealth, position, honors or the like. When I look at success, it looks completely different. Success to me is finding that quiet time for just me at the end of a day. Success also is getting through a day with no meltdowns with the kids. Success is also my 15 year old daughter getting herself ready early in the morning and doing her nightly routine without a meltdown at night. Success is also getting a decent dinner made for my family, and spending quality time together.
I can also say that success is keeping a positive attitude when everything around you is looking negative. In the picture above, I feel that I'm currently in the middle of the squiggly mess. Sure my life is sometimes chaotic, but at the end of the day I have achieved success if my children are happy and laughing.
When I think of my book "The Chosen Path", success looks a little different. Success is a finished product, with a beautiful cover, and people proud of me for finishing this difficult task. Writing about my abusive past is emotionally draining, but in the end I know it's going to help someone else cope with their past. I want to reach out to the mother hanging on to her last shred of sanity and tell her that I too understand what it means to be a mother of a disabled child. Success to me has nothing to do with wealth, position or honors, it has everything to do with self-fulfillment. If I'm happy with myself, and if my family is happy, I've achieved success.
Success is different for everyone, but for me this is what it looks like.
Until next time...
I love this post! Success is different to everyone and that's what makes it so subjective. I think that success is when we are at peace because of something that we have done...such as writing that novel and then getting people to know what it's about. Another piece of success would be getting people to buy it.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
-Joseph
www.josepheastwood.com
Thank you Joseph! Yes, success is very subjective, I totally agree! I'm working on my book today and if I accomplish even a few pages, that would be success in my mind. I'm also looking at changing up the title of my book a bit. So if I can accomplish that as well... then double success!
DeleteI agree--great post! I found you through Bloggy Moms Special Needs group. My daughter has CP, and is profoundly disabled. Success IS how you describe it--the small things! Can't wait to learn more about you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Angela, both for finding me and for your comment to my post. I have 5 disabled children. My 24yr old has PDD-NOS and is an unmedicated bipolar. My 22yr old has Down syndrome, hydrocephalus & acanthosis nigricans. My soon-to-be 16 yr old has spastic diparesis cerebral palsy, Asperger's syndrome, anxiety disorder, eating disorder, bipolar, and ADHD. My 10yr old has PDD-NOS, mood disorder, cognitive impairment and encopresis. My 9yr old has Fetal Valproate Syndrome, static encephalopathy, mood disorder, & PDD-NOS. My 3 oldest are girls, and my 2 youngest are boys. Do you know if there is a Bloggy Mom's badge that I can put on my blog?
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