The Less Glamorous Side of Success

Sometimes it’s what we don’t do that gives us the best outcomes in life. Whether it’s the person we didn’t marry, the job we didn’t accept, or the investment advice we didn’t take.

Most of what we read and hear about success is tied to specific decisions or actions we’ve performed. “she’s successful because she started investing at an early age.” Or, “her career took off after she decided to get her master’s degree.”  

But very little attention is given to the less glamorous side of success: What’s avoided and not acted upon.

Our gut tells us what our mind sometimes won’t. The mind can be a powerful tool, but it can also confuse and distort and in the process, lead us to making irrational decisions. In other words, we tend to lie to ourselves. A lot.

Our gut, however, operates behind the scenes, constantly gathering information, processing it, and if we let it work naturally, guiding us in our decisions. If it seems too good to be true, it almost always is. If it doesn’t excite us, it’s probably not the right path to take.

When you look at everything you’ve accomplished so far, regardless of your age, think about all the things you passed on. All the things you said, “no thanks,” to. Most likely these will be as much a part of your success as anything else.

Rick