Conventional thinkers would say that success is the finished product of hard work, talent, ambition, wisdom, discipline, persistence and luck.  But is that all that  there’s into it?

True success is not all about money.  I have noticed that too many people “follow the money” and end up miserable.  Still, conventional thinkers believe that success is market based, and your success depends on how well that market accepts what you have to offer. They claim that your success is based on something “out there” so you have to stay attuned to what “out there” thinks is important and that you need to conform with the demands of this temporal world to be successful. That’s backwards!

Your true success depends on what’s inside of you: your passions, strengths, and purpose; your character and desire; your willingness and your mindset. Your passion anchors your success because it motivates and inspires you to continuously strive for excellence.

When you tap the power of those things and design your career around them, I guarantee that you will be successful. I don’t guarantee that you will build a multi  billion dollar empire (unless your desire is strong enough to do so) with all the trappings of extreme wealth. But I do guarantee that you will experience a life that is meaningful and satisfying, and that you will create the material wealth you need. Apple Founder Steve Jobs aptly summed it up when he said ““The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

Passions, strengths, purpose, and character are the essence of who you are. It’s not a process of changing them or fixing them. It’s a process of discovering them and letting them loose! That’s the basis of true success for you.

For me, finding my passions and purpose was not a single shift. It was a process, and during that process, I trusted my gut. Success is a journey, not a destination. There will be many twists and turns along the way, but by following your own passions and purpose, you will also achieve your true success.