Don't Get So Caught up in Success That You Forget to be Content
Otherwise you'll always be chasing something you'll never find.
This is the second article in Letters to my Children.
Here is the first one if you want to read it.
To my kids:
If you’re anything like me - and you probably will be - then you will be competitive and driven to succeed in whatever you do in life.
And it’s because you’ll probably be a little bit like me that I’m warning you not to let your pursuit of success and achievement blind you to what is most important.
There’s nothing wrong with success and achievement.
King Solomon wrote about those who would be successful (or profitable) and those who would fail.
In all hard work there is profit, but merely talking about it only brings poverty. (Proverbs 14:23)
That doesn’t mean everyone who works hard will be rich - but it does mean that those who work hard will benefit from it. They will enjoy some achievements from their labor.
It could be as simple as the farmer who gets out in the field and does the hard work will achieve the success of a harvest. The one sitting around talking about farming will never gather in a harvest.
So long as you are honest and ethical in your work and how you achieve success - you have nothing to be ashamed of. There is nothing wrong with having success and achieving things in your work or life.
However, success and achievement are not an end in themselves.
If you’re always chasing success or the next thing you can achieve - how will you ever be able to appreciate what you have?
It can be tempting to want to chase down the achievement that sits on top of the next hill just as soon as you’ve reached the achievement on this hill. The danger in having that mentality is you will never be thankful for what you do have, for what you have done.
If your life is all about chasing down the next significant achievement or reaching up to the next great success - what’s going to happen when you can no longer climb the next hill?
Focusing solely on success and achievement can cause you to take the most important things in your life for granted.
If your sole focus is on chasing success and achievement, you will likely forget to be thankful for what you do have and for the people in your life.
Remember to be thankful when you achieve something in your work or life. Thank God for the opportunities He has given you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Thank the people who helped you climb to where you are today.
Being content (1 Timothy 6:6-10) doesn’t mean you never try to climb the next hill. It means that you are satisfied with where you are today. You aren’t looking at the top of the hill you’re climbing, frustrated with yourself because you aren’t there yet.
You’re satisfied with your climb today, knowing that you will continue to climb tomorrow.
And if you do enjoy success in this life, look around and help others (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
Until next time,
Love Dad.