5 signs you’re successful in life, even if your path is ‘untraditional’

Everyone’s path is different, some are more different than others.

It may be you were told, taught or influenced by societal traditions to follow a certain path when you were younger – but you always had a niggling feeling you were meant for something else.

Maybe at some point in your life, you decided to follow this new path, yet question yourself as to whether you’ve done the right thing?

Everyone else seems to be doing great doing the ‘traditional’ things.

Well, maybe you’re simply taking the road less travelled that still ultimately leads to self-fulfilment and happiness.

But how do you know this?

After reflecting deeply on my personal journey and the unique path I’ve travelled (and still am), I’ve collected 5 signs that show you’re successful in life, even if your path is ‘untraditional’ compared to others.

Here they are…

  1. You’ve embraced the unique rhythm of your journey

The path to deep self-fulfilment, success and happiness is never a straight line. It dips, turns, sometimes drops sharply, then rises again. It may even abruptly pause while contemplating a new obstacle. I think you get the picture : )

If you’ve learned to accept this rhythm? you’ve tapped into an incredibly powerful secret that has eluded, frustrated and confounded many.

It’s the journey not the destination where you find yourself.

2. You view failures as stepping stones

You now see failures as lessons to be learned from. And instead of being hardened, calloused and closed, your strength comes from becoming even more compassionate, wise, open and forgiving of yourself and others because of what you’ve learned.

3. You value relationships over wealth

In my 20’s and 30’s I was driven by pursuing money and the ‘appearance’ of wealth and status. Nice car, fast motorcycle, cool clothes, fame and status.

Now, I realise that although money can provide security, comfort and options in life it can never replace having good relationships with people you care about.

All the money in the world becomes dull and lacklustre if you’re all alone while counting it.

Your success is a measure of the quality of the relationships you have with others.

4. You’re open to learning constantly

In our digital age, where everything is changing rapidly, you have embraced acquiring new knowledge as a gift, not a threat to be feared.

If you’re open to receiving new information that will help to sharpen, expand your horizons and improve yourself, this is a true sign of success. It shows you’re a benefit to yourself and to the people around you.

5. You find joy in the journey

I’ve always been a driven kind of person. I prided myself in setting a goal and doing my utmost to be true to my word in achieving it.

This often left me feeling depressed and frustrated, when the goal was not (yet) achieved.

Although it’s useful to have a timescale for when something must be achieved, you’ve learned to balance this out, by being patient during the process, and even appreciating the challenges leading up to reaching the goal.

You’ve learned to ‘see’ these moments as valuable stepping stones.

If you’ve managed to do all of these things, you’ve uncovered vital secrets, not just of success but of true happiness.

Stay tuned for another 5 signs, I’ll post them when I’ve written then 😀

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Fight for your Dreams✊

Me playing guitar at 6 years old

One day when I was a young boy…I was practising playing the guitar and having fun with it when my Grandfather came up and said to me…

“Don’t waste your time with that. Study hard, there’s no money being a musician, get good grades so you can get a good job”. 

Although he meant well, I only realised later on in my life how much what he said affected me as a young boy and my confidence in expressing my true self.

So, later in life, to please my loved ones I went to University, graduated and went down the corporate route, specialising in sales & marketing and in fairness my financial situation and professional status kept on rising.

But the more focused and successful I was in my corporate career, the more my soul felt…”sick”.

Like there was a big emptiness & sadness in my heart…

I also felt strangely guilty – as if I had abandoned that little boy who loved to play music. 

Image

 I spent many years feeling guilty, confused and sad about this – before I finally worked out that music and expression was always inside of me, just waiting to be let out and set free again.

I think a lot of people have this experience when they’re young, when someone, maybe a parent or teacher, advises them to take a practical route in studying hard and getting a ‘good job’.

But what most people find later on in life, is that just having a job that pays the bills isn’t what makes them truly happy,

It’s being able to express themselves freely and sharing whatever natural talents they have with others, that creates real self-fulfilment.

Wherever you are in your life’s journey, it’s never too late to do that.

Don’t give up on your dreams🙏 fight to defend them if you have to, they are who you really are.

Even negative feelings like pain, guilt and regret can help us find and discover the right path to reach them by showing us things we need to learn about ourselves…things no one can teach us, and only time and overcoming challenges can reveal best.

The best version of you and the life of your dreams might be the result of a combination of things you have yet to discover about yourself. 

You may have to go through some dark and tough times to reach the other side…but believe me, it will be worth the journey when you arrive. 

Mark Villarosa
Mark Villarosa, Music Artist & Online Entrepreneur

A story about my Grandfather & Redundancy…

My Grandfather was a sea captain of large commercial ships. A proud man of few words. 

He was looking forward to a comfortable retirement with more than enough money in his pension fund to look after his family.  Sadly, that’s not how his story went.

A few years before his intended official retirement, his company ran into financial trouble and eventually went into bankruptcy.  His pension fund was wiped out. His company could just about afford to pay him his final month’s salary. 

My Grandfather passed away a few years later, in his bed while taking a nap, he just never woke up again.  We still say to each other in our family, that he died of a broken heart. 

My grandfather didn’t have the opportunities we have today, to pivot and use technology to our advantage in reclaiming our lives and creating our own financial destinies without having to rely on companies and employers for our future. 

It makes me sad sometimes to think how he must have felt, lonely, lost, afraid, frustrated and broken…he just never told us, as he was trying to be strong. 

I’ve personally witnessed good friends, colleagues and some of my close family members being made redundant around me today. 

Often they’re people with good careers and sometimes even above-average income. They work long, hard hours, year in and year out.

They thought they were secure. Then suddenly, everything changed.

When faced with adversity, most people will either stay still and try to ride things out or hope for the best. 

Most people will also try to find another job, and soldier on…with the possibility of the cycle repeating itself again. 

The lessons I’ve learned from my Grandfather and people close to me today who put up with fear, frustration and conditions that don’t fulfil them…has made me incredibly passionate about what I believe in… 

And that’s to tell you, from personal experience, there is another way

A way to break the cycle to allow you to create a new reality where you will never be obsolete, unappreciated, unfulfilled or in fear of being made redundant ever again. 

Mark

Mark Villarosa - Digital Entrepreneur

Mark is an online marketer and entrepreneur. He’s written a book on online marketing published on Amazon. With music as a passionate hobby, he’s produced several music albums released on iTunes and also helps people turn their ideas, interests, hobbies and passions into a business.