Just before the Spring 2018 graduation I came across a list of 10 ways to know if you are successful. The following speech was delivered to the graduating class:
The dictionary defines success as the accomplishment of one's goals. A goal is defined as the result of which effort is directed. In theory, if you want to be successful, YOU need to work for it. Success is based on your actions, not the actions of those around you. So, the question is, are you successful?
Here are 10 ways to know:
1. If you know or are on the road to figuring out how you can make enough money to stay alive, you are successful. The more you know about YOUR own income-generating potential, the more successful you are.
2. If you know what you love to do and what you're good at, you are successful. You are less successful if you let other people tell you what your career path should be.
3. You are successful if you have been knocked down by fate once or twice and have bounced back. The real world is not going to stop surprising us. We all need to grow muscles to be able to handle adversity. Your ability to deal with the ups and downs of your life and career is your power!
4. You are successful if you take responsibility for your life and career. If you blame your problems on other people or the Big Bad World in general, then you are still working to become successful. Successful people know they are not victims of fate. They take control of their own lives!
5. If you get the learning out of every mishap and misstep on your path, you are successful. If you complain about every negative thing that happens to you and never sees your part in disappointments or frustrations, you have a ways to go.
6. If you understand that every step of your path brought you to this place and therefore needed to happen, you are successful. If you waste your energy worrying about things you did or didn't do, you are squandering the most precious asset you have, your time.
7. If you keep trying things even when you're tired and discouraged, you are successful. If you give up and tell yourself and the world "This is too hard, and anyway I don't deserve more than I have right now" you are still seeking success.
8. You are successful if you find joy in little things and celebrate every triumph, even when other things in your life aren't going well.
9. You are successful when you remember that the point of life is the journey, not the destination.
10. You are successful when you have people around you who support and love you and vice versa.
I know for sure that everyone in this room has people who support them. I, for one, am always here to help. Your journey is just beginning. As you accept your diploma I want you to reflect on what it took to get it. Did you work for it? What did you sacrifice to achieve this goal and what are you going to do next?
You are entering a profession that changes lives every day. I hope you decide to work hard each day toward the goals you set for yourself professionally and personally.
-Vikki Edmond, Admissions Coordinator, CHCI
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