A few days ago, I attended a leadership conference. One of the speakers spoke about success. He described success in terms of wealth acquisition and entrepreneurship. While both are noteworthy accomplishments, they are not the only measures. Unfortunately, in today’s social media-inspired culture, many measure success solely by the decibel level of applause and the perception of acclaim. However, my question is: What if the applause never manifests? What if we never receive the coveted, congratulatory adoration—the “atta girl or boy? Does that mean we have failed to succeed? More often than not, many of us have been a nameless face in the crowd.
Success Isn’t Always Sexy
I challenge the notion that success is always sexy and public. Sometimes, success is mundane and unassuming. Moreover, few people will receive the adoration and the adulation, but a great many will not. Many people will toil most of their lives and remain a nameless face in the crowd. The question that we should ask ourselves is: Does anonymity equate to a lack of success? In other words, does a lack of pomp and circumstance equal failure? Our answers to these questions will most likely depend on the definition of success to which we subscribe.
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (New International Bible, 1978/2011, Galatians 1:10).
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward (New International Bible, 1978/2011, Colossians 3:23-24).
Success Does Not Equal Status
Success should never be solely defined by monetary gain or status. Yes, money is an essential commodity. However, there are far greater treasures by which success could be measured. When we think of material gains, we should always remember that ALL earthly gains are temporal. ALL are fleeting and subject to chance. Even the coveted “generational wealth” is subject to chance and loss. Markets fluctuate, and some even collapse. Furthermore, even if our wealth manages to survive a generation or two, we, mere mortals, are ALL predestined to die. Therefore, we should strive to achieve a measure of success that is indelible. I’ll share one of my indelible stories.
My Indelible Story
During my senior year of dental school, God laid a vision on my heart. He prompted me to raise awareness of oral and pharyngeal cancers through an awareness walkathon. Prior to the vision, I had never organized anything on that level. At the time, no other dental school had ever participated in an oral cancer awareness walkathon. God chose me to pioneer a movement.
The inaugural New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Awareness Walkathon was a hit. The Walk was attended by over 300 participants, who collectively raised over $30,000 for the cause. After the event, I presented the event results at the Student National Dental Association Convention and urged other dental students to organize their own walkathon. Subsequently, dental schools, as well as other healthcare organizations across the nation, have organized their own initiatives. Additionally, NYUCD has continued the tradition every year since. The success of the various walkathons has even inspired the school to create an oral cancer clinic.
The truth is, other than the event co-organizers, my colleagues, and my family and friends, no one may ever know that God used me to start a movement. To many, I am just a nameless face in the crowd. Nonetheless, I marvel when I think about the hundreds, if not thousands, of people whose lives have been impacted by one of the various oral cancer awareness walkathons. This is my definition of success. While it lacks the fame and fortune component, it does possess the ability to positively impact someone else’s life.
Defining Success
We all have different versions and definitions of success. However, just because our versions might lack acclaim, that doesn’t mean that they lack validity or merit. Status, wealth, education, and resources are all fleeting, but an impression on someone’s soul is not. A gratifying level of success is often measured by our interpersonal influence. How do you measure success?
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Biblical References:
New International Bible. (2011). The NIV Bible. https://www.thenivbible.com (Original work published 1978)