Mistaking Human Rights for Success
You have courageously journeyed through the Echo Chamber Effect, unmasking inherited beliefs about relationships, work, and time. You’ve exposed the conditioning, and now, you are ready for the ultimate act of self-sovereignty: designing your own definition of success.
What does success mean to you? It’s time to stop chasing a borrowed blueprint and start building a life that truly resonates with your powerful, authentic self.
The Inherited Blueprint: Trading Time for The Basics
In my youth, my definition of success was straightforward: my perception of a large income, no worries about food or safe shelter, and a fun lifestyle of travel and activities. The message, heavily ingrained through my family history, was that I could have all of this if I simply worked hard enough. The pursuit of that goal became a code added to my very DNA.
I worked and worked, exchanging my energy, time, and spirit for growth in my career. When exhaustion finally settled in during moments of pause, I’d replace it with daydreams about a bigger house and relaxing vacations.
Here is the truth: I obtained all of that. But despite achieving everything on the conditioned checklist, I was still exhausted. The deep satisfaction I craved never arrived.
That’s when I was forced to challenge my definition of success. I realized it was an idea I had adopted in my youth, directly imposed by my circumstances. My parents grew up in poverty, worried about the very basics: food and shelter. They wanted me to have opportunity, which is why the "hard work" principle was instilled so heavily.
The Absurdity: Mistaking Human Rights for Success
Now, having obtained all those "basics," I started to ask: Why was my definition of success defined by fundamental human rights?
Why did I have to exchange so much of my time and energy with the organizations I worked for in exchange for a safe shelter, food in my belly, warmth, and the simple enjoyment of taking a walk in my spare time?
The fundamental human right of being on this planet to live was exchanged for a massive amount of hard work. The absurdity became clear: I had lost who I was because the definition of success had been imposed upon my circumstances.
Your Revolution: Grounding Success in Your Values
What does success truly mean to you? To answer this question, you must think about your values.
For me, success is leading with honesty, being candid, and surrounding myself with people who are honest. It is showing human kindness and supporting the cause of human justice in every facet of my life and all that surrounds me.I feel successful when I ensure the things I surround myself with somehow support the cause of human justice.
Once you understand the things you value, you can finally defy success as it’s defined by the world and embrace your own authentic definition.
I’d like to challenge you to think about what success means to you. Write them down and look at that list, really thinking about where this definition came from. Was it imposed upon you because of limiting circumstances that have been passed down for generations, or were you afforded the basic human rights of food and shelter in a way that then allowed you to define your success, knowing you already had a stable foundation?
Reflection & Action: Finding Your True North
To begin designing your own authentic map, close your eyes and think of just one point where you felt truly, deeply successful.
What did that success feel like? (Hold onto that.)
What are you doing?
Who surrounds you?
This feeling is a clue to the things you truly value—not what somebody told you is valuable.
Perhaps a true measure of success for you is simply feeling rested, or having the space and time to do the things you love. That might mean you value time freedom, space, or rest and flow.
Your revolution starts by defining what fulfillment means to you, regardless of the blueprint you were handed.
Next week, you'll continue your journey into"The Power of Your Unseen Voice: Why Authenticity is Your Greatest Strength" – learning how your authenticity can help the world.
Namaste, Sweet Soul!
Araceli Wehr, Inner Revolution Coach
Founder & CEO of Arohee, LLC
P.S. Dive Deeper with Video: For a visual exploration of these topics, head over to my YouTube channel "The Revolution Within". See these concepts come to life and continue your journey with me there: https://www.youtube.com/@InnerRevolutionRebel