There is no trick to success—no catchphrase, no perfect job to apply for, and not even a blog post that will turn you into an overnight sensation! Success is found inside each individual, and not without a considerable amount of effort.
Rabbi Aryeh Weinstein has been helping people find genuine success for a long time now, and he understands that success is not a single event. It doesn’t come in an instant—it’s a lifelong process, requiring simple principles that must be consistently applied every day.
Here are a few of the guiding processes that Rabbi Weinstein teaches to help people experience both personal and professional success:
1) Take Time for Self-Discovery
Before one can become successful, a knowledge of self must be obtained. Around us are many pitfalls that impede this process; the hustle and bustle of society and the never-ending news cycle, for example, distract us from introspection.
Introspection, however, provides a base for lifelong success. Without an idea of who we are, we cannot know anything else. Essentially, we lose out on the perspective necessary to even define success, let alone experience it. Before anything else, we must look in.
2) Seek Learning Through Perspective
Not everybody believes in a higher power, and those who do tend to disagree on details. No matter what you believe, it’s valuable to consider the vastness of existence and your place in it. This shouldn’t be discouraging; rather, it should inspire, and most importantly, give you perspective. If all we do is look in, we run the risk of forgetting that there’s a whole world spinning around us!
Understand the value you have as an individual, but also understand that the world is full of people with different lifestyles, and circumstances. Gaining (or at least attempting to gain) a perspective of our place as individuals amongst the mosaic of humanity will teach us valuable principles that facilitate valuable, success-building relationships.
3) Be Passionately Engaged In Helping Others
Odds are, you’ll find success is only really success if it involves lifting up others. As you journey to success, seek out opportunities to help others. Charity is not exclusive to philanthropic billionaires; it’s accessible to you. At the end of the day, you can’t be successful if you’re not happy. And happiness comes from helping others.
An important note: helping people does not mean trying to change them. This will frustrate both them and you. Remember what Rabbi Weinstein said: “The only person I can change is myself.” It can be tempting, as you help others, to try and make them be like you. Remember that each individual has their own path to success, and that the best thing you can do is to give them the tools or assistance they need to find success on their own.
4) Make a Point of Remembering What Works
Have you ever heard something along the lines of, “those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it?” The phrase stuck because it’s true. Fortunately, the flip side of that quote is just as true—those who remember their successes can apply productive practices to their everyday lives. The latter phrase isn’t as poetic as the former, but it’s just as valuable, if not more, to remember.
Learning from the past can help you avoid pitfalls, but it also will teach you a great deal of what you need to know to be successful both in the present as well as the future. Focus in on times you’ve been successful in the past. Figure out what it was you did that brought about this success, and apply the principles you used then to the situations you find yourself in now. This allows you to maximize the value of your own life experiences and gain a deeper knowledge of what will lead you to a successful life.
5) Keep Focused On the Future
No matter how many treasures can be found in the past, there will always be more in the future. The path to success is catalyzed by learning from past experience, but can only come to fruition as we make decisions with a vision for the future. Set lofty goals for yourself and work every day to achieve them.
One more note: Make plans, but don’t get too attached to them. The highest value of your plans is found in the fact that they get the ball rolling. The ultimate success you find in life might not, and most likely will not, coincide perfectly with how you planned to have your success occur. Rather, as a result of the self-awareness and perspective you’ve already gained, you’ll find new paths to take.
Ultimately, success is not a one-time achievement. It has to happen every day. In order for it to consistently happen, you must know who you are, understand the world around you, learn from the past, look towards the future, and most importantly, remember to serve others. If you work to apply these principles to your life every day, success is not only possible, it’s inevitable.