"The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, gives him ample opportunity to add a deeper meaning to his life. He may remain brave, dignified and unselfish. Or in the bitter fight for self-preservation, he may forget his human dignity and become no more than an animal. Here lies the chance for a man either to make use or to forgo the opportunities of attaining the moral values that a difficult situation may afford to him."
-- Viktor Frankl
There is Success And There is Success Beyond Success
Every action has two purposes: You act in order to move toward a desired result, and you act in order to express your values.
So far, we've looked at action as your response to an external challenge; you employ your skills and resources to create a desirable future. You can evaluate your progress by examining the alignment of the intended and real outcomes; this is the measure of your success.
In this post I am suggesting that we can also look at action as an expression of your values; you employ your skills and resources to take a moral stance. You can evaluate the alignment between your behavior and your values; this is the measure of your integrity, or your success beyond success.
The good news is that you can guarantee success beyond success, even in a world where success is beyond your control. You can always choose to act with integrity, because you control your behavior. No matter what others do, as Gandhi exhorted, you can "become the change [you] want to see in the world." Integrity gives you the unconditional power to express your values and be proud of yourself.
In this video you will learn how to base your success on the things you can control.
Readers: Think of a difficult problem you are facing, what would you need to do to feel proud of yourself no matter what the outcome turns out to be? That is, what actions would lead you to succeed beyond success?
Further Reading: Class of 2013: Find Your Spiritual Harness
Fred Kofman, Ph.D. in Economics, is Vice President at Linkedin. This post is part 2.1. of Linkedin's Conscious Business Program. You can find the introduction and structure of this program here. To stay connected and get updates join our LinkedIn Group: Conscious Business Friends
You can Follow Fred Kofman on LinkedIn here