Being a teenager I recall reading about lifestyle of the rich and famous.
Many articles and television shows included images of people drinking champagne and eating caviar.
It was like casting an image of what you do when rich.
You may be reading this and love both champagne and caviar, but I am not one who drinks nor ever tasted caviar.
However I recall that dreamers were made to believe that to be rich you ate certain foods and drank certain drinks.
There was a television show called Lifestyle of the Rich & Famous that showcased how the rich live.
From memory the show did great and was on for a decade.
Growing up it was fascinating to see how others lived outside of my community.
Being able to see homes, vehicles and the lavish lifestyle would stir up lust ( or great passion)
Who wouldn’t want a car for every day of the week?
How about fashionable wardrobe that you needed a room to keep it all in.
Yes I was committed to watching it.
Now that I am 50 years old, I am able to identify where some of my dreams came from.
Measuring your success by what you wear, eat, where you life and how much money you have can be deceiving.
If success was only about material things, more than 50% of the world is unsuccessful.
Fighting false images, loud voices, and lies is a daily task.
A person has to relinquish the false idols of success to truly find what it looks like.
Most of us still wrestle silently with thoughts of failure, because we believe we must have lots to show for it.
We dismiss the teachers who are paid little to impact hundreds of students a year.
We dismiss the fire fighter who while we slept was out putting his life in danger to save another.
We discount the barber who daily gets to touch life’s and some times even say a word that may save one.
Yes success is so far from the images created from the lifestyle on the television or your social media feed.
Success is that single parent who works, loves, protects and raises their own children.
Success is not just the type of food we eat, but feeding others from our own pantry.
Being able to kill the giants that stood between me and truth took courage.
No we may not have a private jet, because our assignment in life is in our community and not around the world.
Your success.
Our success can not be measured by the dollars we accumulate (although we all want more money!)
Perhaps you are reading this, and the voices in your life keep saying you are a failure.
Release your inner warrior and silence the liars.
Declare your life is not wasted.
You are making an impact.
Riches are not the only signs of success.
Wealth is also a sign of success.
Celebrate your relationships, impact, survival and more.
You my friend of accomplished more than you can see.
No you may never drink champagne and eat caviar.
Truth is…you don’t need to eat or drink anything special to be awesome!
Just Appetizers 