As I was searching for a “success” quote, I ran across this one this morning.
“Success is never owned, it’s rented. And the rent is due every day!”
Rory Vaden
Oh my goodness, YES!
Success is an ongoing process.
From the words of Matty Mullins,
“The only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday.”
Where Do You Draw Inspiration?
People often ask me, “Tara, where do you get your inspiration?”
To that, I say,
I get inspiration every single day. Sometimes it’s watching the geese swim in our pond out back. Other days it’s reading fantastic work from educators all over the world. There are moments it’s a long squeezy hug from my son, husband, or a friend. I often rely on my faith. And there are times it’s a simple smile a stranger gives me in the grocery store when thoughts are threatening me to give up on something meaningful in my life.
Every day I have breath in my body, and my five senses are working correctly, I’m making connections with my surroundings. My mind races day and night, and I choose to draw inspiration from everywhere.
Inspiration is all around you; you just have to take time to see it.
My Hero
This past week, someone at the state conference asked me, “Who is your hero–that one you look up to and pattern your actions, next steps, goals, etc.?”
I told them I have a lot of mentors who mean the world to me, but I couldn’t help but share this little tidbit…I compete against myself. It’s the only thing I can honestly change. So, I adopted this mentality from Matthew McConaughey,
“My hero is me in the next ten years.”
And in ten years, my REAL hero will be me in ten more years.
Do I have mentors from which I gain wisdom? Most definitely. But, I sincerely never seek to be “just like” them; I don’t. I adopt traits, strategies, skills, etc. from others and tweak them to fit within my context.
I love adding ideas to my own; it’s like turning my life-kaleidoscope and creating a new curious combination–a beautiful unique image like none other. (No two turns of the kaleidoscope will create the same image; likewise, no two people will ever be alike. They draw inspiration from their own walks of life. Just as I do.)
I walk to the beat of my own drum.
I’m an odd duck, and I know it. But this one thing is rooted in the core of my being.
I will be the REAL me. In every role. Everywhere. Everyday.
I want to fulfill my purpose and leave my legacy.
Success Currency
How do you pay “rent” for success?
Success is paid out during our alone time. This type of currency is often not seen by others.
Success is hard work. It’s not what others view from the surface; it is blood, sweat, tears, moments of joy, heartbreak, and giggles. It’s perseverance, dedication, and fearlessness, courage with moments of vulnerability, disappointment and a sense of accomplishment.
However, it’s never really owned; it’s rented.
Why?
Because, as long as there is breath in your body, you are working toward success. And the rent is due every single day!
Have you paid your rent for success today?
I love this image by Sylvia Duckworth of “The Iceberg Illusion”
by George Couros —The Innovator’s Mindset.
