We have certainly become a society that is obsessed with success, haven’t we? On every corner there is an advertisement that is selling the latest get-rich-quick or how-to-become-famous scheme. We obsess over who will climb the corporate ladder the quickest, who will buy the largest house, the fanciest car.  We obsess over whose kid will be the best athlete and best-looking with the highest GPA. We obsess over who is aging the best and who is in the best shape. On and on we go.

My inbox is inundated daily with newsletters promising to make me famous, email tips with the latest info on how to master advertising via social media or blogs on launching successful businesses.   

And if I’m being REALLY honest with you, for brief moments of time, I have been guilty of the same ludicrous measures of success – becoming obsessed with the sales of my latest book or how many clicks I have received on my website or any number of countless other meaningless gauges of success. I have often been the mom who pushes her kids far too hard to be the valedictorian or best athlete or whatever else. But when I have seen that very same nature in others, I see how ugly it truly is.  

The truth is success is not measured by your achievements on the highest rung of the corporate ladder or the number of people you know, but rather the quality of your impact.  

SUCCESS IS:

** seeing one life changed because you made a difference.

** seeing the impact you have on a child you are raising and helping them develop good character.

** driving home with your teenager and having good conversation rather than driving in silence.

** enjoying a family ride in the mini-van rather than obsessing that it is not a Mercedes. 

And there are a thousand other gauges on success, but none of them, not one, has to do with how much money you have, how many followers you have on Facebook or the type of car you drive. The sooner we all realize that, the better.

 

Author / Speaker, Jennifer Maggio, is considered one of the nation’s leading authorities on single parent issues. She has been featured on countless radio and television programs and hosts one of the nation’s largest single mom support groups. Her latest book, Overwhelmed: The Life of a Single Mom, has been met with fast success. For more info, visit http://www.thelifeofasinglemom.com.