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BlueTopaz:

--- Quote ---What does "success" mean to me? I am not sure, yet. I think it means living the second half of my life in an authentic way. I think it means embracing the reality that I am a little "different" from many people, and I do have a somewhat "different" story than most. Success means that I have said "Yes, I am this person," and accepting that maybe only 5% of the world can relate to that. And maybe it's about focusing on the joy of connecting with that 5%, rather than struggling with pleasing the other 95%.

It certainly doesn't have anything to do with money, houses, cars, material wealth, status or any of that stuff.
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Yes!   This is my journey as well Peter...   "Success" for me is a way of being, in feeling, in thought, action, in interaction... in every sense, during my stay here.   That way of being is related to the deep energy that I feel is my "soul" energy.  

BT-- a sure member of the 5%  :wink:

bunny:

--- Quote from: DenmarkGuy ---A former therapist once told me that people basically have two strategies in life: Either they move AWAY from pain, or they move TOWARDS pleasure.
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This is what Freud said. And there is a later theory that everyone moves toward relational attachments. Some of these attachments are quite painful, but a child has no choice in his/her attachment figures. The attachment type gets imprinted in the child and they keep forming these types of attachments unless they break the cycle.


--- Quote from: DenmarkGuy ---What does "failure" mean to me? These days, it increasingly means the result of "selling out." Failure means I've not been true to myself. Failure means I am letting someone else's voice control mine. Failure means I have subjugated my dreams, wants and desires to someone else's. Failure means I've chickened out of looking at "uncomfortable" feelings and truths of my life. Failure means "faking it" that I am OK, when I am really not.
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Is this failure or could it be some setbacks, disappointments and learning experiences? (reframing..)

 


--- Quote from: DenmarkGuy ---What does "success" mean to me? I am not sure, yet. I think it means living the second half of my life in an authentic way. I think it means embracing the reality that I am a little "different" from many people, and I do have a somewhat "different" story than most. Success means that I have said "Yes, I am this person," and accepting that maybe only 5% of the world can relate to that. And maybe it's about focusing on the joy of connecting with that 5%, rather than struggling with pleasing the other 95%.
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Thanks for clarifying.

I'm of two minds here.

(1) I accept that I am not the most conventional person. Sometimes there's a feeling of alienation/loneliness. On the other hand I can also feel "better than others" and "special" for being different. This is on the social plane of life. In social affairs I tend to talk to people who share interests, values, morals, attitudes. I tend to stay away from people who make me feel uncomfortable, bored, self-conscious. This is not just to avoid pain, it seems practical to me. I'm 47 and I don't have time to deal with people who suck the life out of me.

(2) I accept that as a human being I share traits with everyone else. I believe everyone has similar feelings, emotions, and problems in life. On a spiritual level I am no different from anyone else.

bunny

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