By Lois Hewitt

When someone mentions an apple, a certain image comes to mind.  The details may be different-red, green, sauce, juice or maybe pie-but the basic concept of an apple is the same.

What if someone said the word “success”, the basic concept of that word would be different for every person.  And the definition for each individual may change over time.

Plus there are many ways to define that term:

Here I go again…but when I was younger, success meant one thing.  Big house, nice car, adoration and all the things that go with that type of success.

Then I went through a phase where, to me, success was just about knowledge, artistic endeavors and culture.

Then it went back to big, bigger, biggest. 

Some movie stars are successful as are some musicians. Painters, sculptors and writers can have success.  Anyone good at anything has to possibility of what we may call commercial success.

There are many different definitions and ideals of success according to culture. But is the definition really that broad?

I’m no expert by any means. Back in my blog archives are a couple posts about my numerous and embarrassing failures. Now I am assuming that failure is the opposite of success.  That is how I have always seen it in my life.

I failed at the guitar and I failed at archery, therefore I could never be a success.  But is that really true?

Am I not more of a success at failing something than someone who never tried?  Could be, I guess.

In my older years, I have decided success is best defined for oneself by said person.  If I try to be a success by one person’s standards, I am more likely to be a failure.

So I have to determine for myself what the word means to me.  I have to give that word its power.

Today, I view success much differently. No longer is it about bigger or best.  It’s about character and integrity. It’s about how I use my life, even though I had a rough start. It’s about how I humble myself to God and quit taking credit.

Good works alone do not get you into Heaven.  Couple that with a faith that your relationship with God is based on His Word and you are heading right.

That, to me, is my success. The fact that I have doubted God on way too many occasions but found my way back to Him.  The fact that any good I do now is a reflection on Him and not my own goodness.

Trying to live a life that will make God pleased is my success in this life.  I may never get a book deal or a Bugatti and that’s fine with me.  On that day when Jesus greets me in Heaven and I hear that I was a good and faithful servant, I will know my life was a success.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, do not let anyone define your success. Success will burst forth from your soul and you will know when the path is the right one as long as you stay true.