Success is not defined by your what's in your bank account!

I'm 35 years old. Young by many people's standard, but old enough to recognize that our time here is limited. I am no longer a teenager who never thinks about "time"...no longer in my "20's" where you are so focused on yourself that you vaguely notice that the world is going by...I'm in my 30's...my 30's... 

I look back at who I was through the previous decades and I cannot recognize that person...I can barely remember that person and what motivated her. When I graduated college, I knew what I wanted and I understood what success meant...money and material things. That was 9 years ago, and now I want a different kind of success. True success, to me, is accepting yourself for you and actually "liking" yourself.

The biggest step in accomplishing that is to realize that everything in this world is an illusion. Don't believe me...think about it...we are bombarded with media, Internet, and news that tells us what we need to make us happy. More...more...more...more stuff, things, products, money...everything and anything to fill a void that we as a society have developed over time. 

Well, I'm tired of buying into those definitions of success. What make will make you happy? Well, my first suggestion is to stop caring about what people think about you. Their opinions do not matter. Those opinions do not define you. By caring what others think of you...you are giving them power over you. Wear what makes you happy, listen to music that makes your soul smile, and find people who encourage you and love you for you. That last one can be difficult to find, but remember that you attract what you focus on...if you are focused on surrounding yourself with joyful loving friends you will find them. However, if you feed into the negativity in others and see it in yourself then you will attract people like that to yourself. 

Also, let people go. Admittedly, this is truly difficult. This is an exercise that I have to remind myself to practice daily. As people float in and out of your life...just let them go. From parents, children, spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends and fleeting encounters. Not to down play family, but the purpose in our lives is to grow...if they are no longer in your life (no matter what the reason), then accept that you have learned all that you can from that relationship and let them go. 

So, what kind of life do you want? You will never really know until you find out who you are and embrace your uniqueness...once that is done your life will begin to shift. You will begin noticing the magic of your everyday life. Your heart will swell with joy, and your soul with breath a sigh of relief. You will one day look into the mirror and say "Hey, I like who I am!"..."I LOVE my life!"