The Mainstream Truth About Success: Forever

FOREVER. What a beautiful word. It means everlasting. Eternal. Never ending. More often than not, when do we use this word?

If you're a fan of romantic movies, definitely this word will give you butterflies. If you're a bitter one, then this will bring you pain.

Generally speaking, we usually use the word forever to relate with love - an everlasting one, without ending. Is there really a love like that? A never ending one? Well, it depends on what we believe in.

Aside from that, we often relate the forever to success. The mainstream truth about success. The sad truth.

Labeling as failure

Have you ever encountered someone who tried to run a business because it makes them happy but after some time, the owner wanted to try something new so they closed it. People call it a 'failure' for not meeting the requirement for success: the word forever.

Pretend that you badly want to become a dancer. You attended dance classes. Then, after months or years of training, you decided not to continue it. You'll be labeled as a 'failed' dancer.

In marriage, when you have several years of good marriage then it stopped working for some reason, you decided to divorce, people would say it's a 'failed' marriage.

After graduating college with the degree of your dreams and yet you work in a different field, they'll say you failed.

When you had a really good circle of friends before but after some time, they became just an acquaintance, people that you used to know, and people would say it's not 'true' friendship.

A relationship with someone for years, ended up being strangers then calling it a failed relationship.

Forever as a definition of success

In life, we label everything that ends as failure.

A closed business.

A dream not being pursued.

Ending marriage.

Working in a different field.

Fewer friends.

Break up.

The truth about success is that we define it as something that we need to constantly do, something that we need to keep doing forever. If not, then it's a failure.

For me, something can be good even though it ended.

That business was something good when it peaked but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a failure.

That dream of becoming a dancer was something good, you enjoyed the classes. Pursuing something else doesn't necessarily mean you failed.

That marriage was good but that doesn't necessarily mean that you, as a divorcee, was a failure. The divorce is a good thing for you, too.

That degree you pursued in college was great, the process, the journey, everything. You enjoyed it. It was a success. Working in a different field doesn't mean you failed in your chosen profession or field.

Having a lot of friends was good. You enjoyed their company, their presence. Having fewer friends doesn't mean you failed to have 'real' friendship.

Being in a relationship for years but ended up in a break up doesn't necessarily mean that it is a failure. You enjoyed the ride, the butterflies, the love you shared together.

I don't think that anything that ends should be labeled as failure. When we stop doing what we used to love, it's not a failure.

Yes, it's sad. Yes, we didn't choose to do those things for life, but that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy them. We were happy. We were once happy doing those things and I think that should matter. What we felt when we had those, matters. And not choosing it once again, matters too. Letting go of something we've had is called success, too. Not a failure.

So if ever you wanted to change your mind for not doing a certain thing forever, know that it is not a failure.

❓What is something you did or had that you somehow considered as a failure just because you didn't pursue it? ❓

Let me know your answers. Let me know your thoughts. 💖

April 30, 2022