What is Success?

We are already a few days into Autumn, but Melbourne is refusing to let Summer go showing a perfect day with 27 degrees, bright sunshine and light breeze. I have just finally set my chilli plant free from pot to the ground - a successful transplant. I am looking forward to more wonderful red chillis in months to come.

Admiring my new chilli plant amongst the Loofahs and chives, I thought. "I had a successful day in the garden"

"What is being successful in life means?" Universe interrupted my mind.

"Wow, a little heavy at this time of the day?" sipping my cool ice drink reaching for my keyboard to record this conversation.

"May be a Ferrari and a villa in the South of France, exotic dinners and parties, power, recognition, status, happy family, children, etc, etc " I could go on and on and on..... testing the Universe.

"Is that so?" Universe interjected.

If you ask the same question to 100 people I bet most would say similar things but with varying emphasis.

"Is that so?"

Frankly I am getting tired of this answer. I thought it serves no purpose and it is rather annoying to get the same answer all the time.

"Can we stop the "is that so?" bit and move on?" Getting frustrated.

"The world will tell you that success is about achieving what you set out to do. They will tell you that success is about winning, being financially secure, recognition and so forth. But let me tell you they are only by products of success. They are not success"

"I am listening" getting interested.

"You cannot become successful, you can only BE successful. The world doesn't tell you this, because it doesn't know"

"I really do not get you" keeping my fingers poised ready for the answer I am going to post.

 "What is "BE successful?"

" Simply instil a sense of quality in everything you do, even for the most simplest things. You do this by realising that the outcome of your future rests entirely with what you are doing now. Realise that there are no other moments except this moment. So give this moment its fullest attention. In other words be successful in everything you do NOW."

"Wait a minute, well does this not mean that we do not plan? What about what we want to achieve in the future? Our careers, our family etc?"

"I never said not to plan and I never said you do not consider the future. What I am saying is if planning is what you can do for the moment - give it the fullest attention. Even with a plan/journey, the primary step is the step you are doing now, because this moment is all you ever have. What you encounter at the destination can only be determined by quality of this particular step at this particular moment."

"So what has this got to do with successful?"

 "Simply this, when your doing is infused with the quality of Being, then you cannot help but BE successful. This will apply to whatever you choose to do."

"Well if this is case then would we ever achieve something big if all we ever do is focus on minute little moments every second?"

"The great can only arise out of honouring and caring for small things. Do you not know that Apple Corporation came out of passion and attention to small details in the garage of Mr & Mrs Jobs? Did Steve Jobs ever think of having a company that has the largest capitalisation in the world when he was in this garage? He only gave his full attention to doing what he was doing at that moment and at every moment. When Steve and Wozniak first assembled those 12 circuit boards they focused on making the best boards."

"Heard of the saying - The journey of a 1000 steps starts with this step - each step being just as important as the next."

"You will only ever have the present moment - regardless of our grand plans and past experiences, we only have this moment to create and the result of this creation is totally dependent on the quality of what we do NOW. When you make what you do or where you are as the main purpose of your life, until the next change, then this awareness becomes very powerful. It means acceptance, it means doing the best and it means none attachment. Change is a given, accept it, work with it and know that in whatever situation you find yourself in, it too will pass"

"Practice this and this will be your success"

Silence.........