Are you Successful?

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” – Ernest Hemingway

I thought it was important to start this post off with a famous quote by Ernest Hemingway. He, like so many notable people in history, was aware of one element that seems to elude so many of us. We are not capable of being better, more noble or more successful than anyone else because we do not truly know how they got to where they are or the circumstances surrounding their position.

Instead, our true focus should be as simple as improving our own position. Instead of holding your measure of self to a neighbor, coworker, friend or enemy, try measuring your success to your past self. You will find you have a clearer picture of where you should be heading if you’re only measuring against the one person you know ALL the details of…..YOU.

I can literally see improvement in small increments for every thing I do if I’m measuring against myself. Did I run my mile faster today than yesterday? Did the project I’ve been working on yield better results than previous ones? Does the scale read closer or farther away from the weight that I’m trying to reach?

Be the only judge that matters to you. No body else knows you better.