The 4 Layers of Success. Most people are missing 3. What about you?...
Most people are missing 3 of these layers. What about you?...
Today, I want to unpack the 4 Layers of Success...
4 Layers of Success
Layer 1: Appearance of Success
These are the people that we typically put on a pedestal.
The actor that just won the Oscars. The pop star performing in front of 100,000 people. The multimillionaire who just bought a new yacht to dock beside their mansion. The sports star winning the World Cup or Super Bowl. The influencer with millions of likes on their video.
But there are so many miserable "successful" people.
Because there is no correlation between the appearance of success and the feeling of success...
Layer 2: Feeling Of Success
Instead of asking, "What is success?" we should be asking...
"How can I FEEL like a success (feel enough) in every area of my life?"
PERFECT Success - Physical, Emotional, Relational, Financial, Existential, Conscious, Thoughts
I found that feeling like a success and feeling enough (especially for entrepreneurs) are so closely linked that they can be used interchangeably.
But we can only consistently feel like a success or feel enough if we unravel our stories, narratives, and identities...
Layer 3: Story of Success
We constantly tell ourselves stories about who we are and how the world works.
Unfortunately, a lot of times, these stories do not accurately reflect reality. These are known as cognitive distortions.
While I do not have enough space to go into depth on this here (more to come), I wanted to give you some excellent resources if you wanted to do a deep dive into this subject...
Books:
Thinking Fast and Slow: Daniel Kahneman
Positive Intelligence: Shirzad Chamine
Feeling Great: David Burns (one of the fathers of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
There's a level even deeper than this...
Underneath all of our stories and even identities is a level of being present and aware of ourselves, the people around us, and the moment...
Layer 4: Being a Success
I know; it sounds cheesy.
But I have come to realize that...
"Learning to be present, aware, and accepting of myself, others, and the situation, without having to change it or control it is one of the greatest gifts I could give to myself, my family, or anyone I interact with." Michael Bauman
What if every person you interacted with knew that you were 100% fully present with them?
How would that change your relationships?
How would that change your life?
I want to leave you with one of my favorite quotes about success from a Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh,
"The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on this green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling fully alive." Thich Nhat Hanh
Very few people do that consistently. Myself included.
But it is something that I am working on.
What layer of success do you find yourself investing the most energy into?
What layer stood out to you the most or a layer that you would like to focus on more? 👇