Cost of Success

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How much are you willing to work for and pay the cost of success?

Have you thought about this? This has been in my head and heart for a while.

Success Has a Cost

Success (no matter how you define it) does not just drop on our laps. We have to work for it. And depending on how we define success, some of us have to work very hard and endure many things before we get to achieve it.

It never comes easy or overnight even though it may seem that way from the outside.

It is easy to look at someone enjoying the fruit of his/her success and be envious, forgetting the blood, sweat and tears they had to pour into their work to be where they are at now.

In today’s social media world, it is worse. All we see is the shiny bright achievement of others. The highlight reel as it is called.

The messy backstage chaos? We have no clue. Even if it is shared, it is curated messiness.

Are You Willing to Pay the Cost of Success?

If we see the hours they put in, the relationships that were put on hold, health that takes a backseat while success is sought – would we still want it? Would we still be as envious?

I honestly say, “no”. Because I am not willing to achieve success at whatever the cost. And if it means being considered unsuccessful, then so be it.

As a Blogger

But I confess that occasionally, as a blogger, I covet the success of other bloggers. I, too, want a lot of subscribers to this blog and want many followers on my social media accounts. I also want to see hundreds (thousands?) of likes and shares whenever I post anything on my page.

But, from what I see it, bloggers and influencers who enjoy success defined this way (likes/shares/subscribers) have to really give it their all and put themselves out there. Really put themselves out there. It is a time consuming, life-consuming job.

Not only must their content be great, but they also have to share a lot of personal information and photos to get people to know, like, and trust them. And so, they get onto InstaStories daily and put up Facebook Lives two to three times per week, at the very least. They also need to share photos of their house, their children, their meals, their clothes… basically their entire life. Sure, it may be a highly curated life but still, they have to put themselves out there.

And the hours they work. Long, long hours fueled with lots and lots of caffeine to make this all work. I’ll pass.

As a Parent

As a parent, I also covet success for my children. I also want to see my children reach their full potential and be successful in their lives, like my friends’ children. But what does success look like for my children? And what does it mean for me?

If helping them be successful means I have to ferry them up and down and pay for extra classes or masterclasses to develop their potential, nag keep tabs on their progress plus help them build up their portfolios or write application letters, then I will pass.

Unless the Lord makes it super clear that I am to do all that, I will not. Some may call me irresponsible or negligent. But I will stick to my guns on this.

Because to do what I just outlined above will drive me c-r-a-z-y. Sure it is doable. But at what cost?

Is It Worth It?

And that is why this post by my Instagram friend Yukiko Sakamura resonated so much with me. And I have her permission to share here. Do follow her on Instagram and on Youtube.

Does it resonate with you too?

Before we envy and covet the success of others, we should ask ourselves, “Are we willing to do what they do to get it?” If no, then why envy? Why covet?

Let’s be honest. Most of us want success without putting in the hard work. We want to be at the top of the mountain admiring the view below without having to climb up the mountain. Or the muscles without working out.

No Free Lunch

But everything has a price tag. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Are you willing to pay the price? Really think this through. In the short term and in the long term. And if you are not willing to pay the price, perhaps it is time to recalibrate.

Stop the envy.

Success or Faithfulness?

In fact, before we start chasing after success, we ought to be asking – is success what we should even be pursuing?

Food for thought.

Before you start envying the success of others, check your spirit. Is success what you should be striving for? Not that we want to live unsuccessful or unfruitful lives.

No, not at all.

We want to have a spirit of excellence like Daniel had but his success is a by-product of his spirit of excellence not because he was pursuing it.

So, to end, I leave you with this quote by JD Greear:

What God requires of you is not success, but faithfulness in what he has assigned to you.

Let us focus on being faithful, not successfulness, and pursue it wholeheartedly.

Related Posts

The Dark Side of Success
It’s Pure Hard Work
What Does God Require? Not Success But Faithfulness

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