success equals joy

We all equate success with different words — wealth, abundance, prosperity, achievement, stability, security and many more. But we forget one key thing: success, first and foremost, is joy. 

Joy is one of the most important values that lay the foundation of success.

Success is all about the journey, not the destination. It’s about enjoying the process, and achieving the end-goal is just an icing on the cake. If you aren’t happy as you spend your days working towards accomplishing your big goals, then you’ll distance yourself away from success and the fulfillment that comes with it.

Success is intrinsic, not extrinsic. And that’s why success is hollow if there’s no joy. It’s important that as we design our personal and professional lives, we always keep joy in our radar and make a firm commitment to it. As Melody Beattie writes in her book Journey to the Heart, “Joy is a choice—a deliberate, conscious choice. That choice is available to us each day. Our joy isn’t controlled by others or by outward circumstances. Joy comes from a deeper place, a place of security within ourselves. It’s an attitude, not a transitory emotion.”

So as you move forward in this epic journey and work towards accomplishing your own version of success, make sure that you are living your truth, acting in accordance with your core values and finding joy in the pursuit that you have chosen for yourself. 

As Leanne Jacobs explains, “I think the most important thing when I think about what success means is joy and happiness. Because what’s really the point of success if you’re miserable or you’re not prioritizing your values?”

Once we start associating success with joy, you’ll be surprised at the results you start seeing in your life. Life will become easier and much more meaningful.