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Sunday, June 21, 2015

How Do You Define Success?


A Childhood Dream

Let me tell you about a young boy who once dreamed of a comfortable life. His name's Matthew, a young boy from a poor family living in a remote rural community. Matthew is the eldest among 4 children.


Living in a remote area, Matthew and his siblings had to travel far (on foot) to be able to reach their school. He only had one pair of shoes, worn-out and ready to dive into the garbage bin but it was his only pair so he took care of it with his life.


Upon walking on wet soil, Matthew would remove his shoes and socks; then he walks barefoot until he reaches school. From there, he would wash his feet from the school's water faucet then he wears his socks and shoes before entering the classroom.


Going home from school, Matthew again removes his socks and shoes then walks barefoot going back to his house. That was the daily hurdle Matthew had to endure so he could get an education. He was well aware of the difficulty of life as a poor person.


If you are poor, everything in life feels so hard. Even the food you eat is a daily problem. That was Matthew's life; but he had dreams. He dreamed of a life free from all the hardships of being poor. He had dreams, and he was eager to reach all of them.


The Quest for Success Begins...

And so, Matthew worked his way up to college. He left his family and tried his luck in the city. His first job was at a grocery store. He was a utility boy, doing everything from cleaning the store to carrying heavy items. He stayed on that job until he was able to finish college.


After graduating from college, Matthew worked as a sales agent for a well-known encyclopedia brand. That was his first job in sales. He stayed there for two years until a bigger opportunity came along. He was hired as an insurance underwriter.


It was hard for him at first because selling books and selling insurance were two different things. He hardly knew anyone who could afford insurance at that time. It was another challenge for him, "how can I sell something which isn't physically there to someone I don't even know?" That was his question.


But luck was on Matthew's side. He was able to learn all there is to know about selling insurance. From then on, his ladder to success kept growing. He learned the art of communicating well with people.


Rewards of Hard Work

Matthew became the best at his chosen career, promotions kept coming until he became one of the top managers of his industry. He earned a decent amount of money to support his family and be able to buy the things that he only imagined before when he was still a young boy with worn out shoes.


Now, Matthew's shoes are the best in town; he not only has one or two but several pairs to choose from. He was able to buy a car, a house and was able to put his only daughter to college. Let's just say, Matthew has gone a long way.


He is not a billionaire or even a millionaire but he is now rich with friends and a family that respect and love him. Matthew has gone a long way from walking barefoot to driving his own car now.


He is no longer that small boy who dreamed of a comfortable life because he is living a comfortable life now with his family out of all the hard working years he spent.


The Legacy Continues

Matthew is now retiring from his work but his daughter is following his footsteps. She took inspiration from her father's dedication with his work and the people he served.

"This job has given me the chance to help others while helping myself," was the line that inspired Matthew's daughter to continue on with his job and help out others as well.


Spiritual Side

One thing that has been very significant in Matthew's life is his faith in God. He never forgot his faith with all the trials and struggles he went through. Now that he is retiring, he hopes to become a pastor and be the source of religious inspiration in his community.





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Have a wonderful day ahead of you!


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