This piece is a part of the prior piece. You can read that part before continue to get you on point. Or not? It’s up to you. I hope you still get the point. Okay, let’s move on.
As my promise, we need to dig again into the true meaning of success or redefine the word of success. One of the aspects from my point of view in the prior piece is I dedicate most of my time to my loved ones. It’s all about what truly matters, you know? Building those real connections. Simply put, family’s gotta be the top priority.
It will bring us to the next definition of success, according to my family (yep, we actually talk about this together to have the same understanding of what it means to be successful so we can move in the right direction to pursue our goals). And after a long and tiring discussion (Nahhh, I only exaggerate it). We came to this conclusion: “Success is having plenty of money and plenty of time to actually enjoy it.” Here’s the fact, the first condition is that we have tons of money, but we don’t have time to enjoy it. Sometimes, we hustle hard and make good money, but times won’t ever be on our side. They always took it from us. Our life got robbed by time while we chased after more and more money. Our careers do not let us allocate or spend little time on what truly matters to us in the long run. Or even to do our small hobbies. Because if we do that, everything that we already built will fall out, at least it’s according to our shallow opinion. The fact is, it is not supposed to be that way. We can still have our careers and tons of money, but we really need to cut non-essential things that come with all of it. It’s all about focusing on what truly matters to us and setting those boundaries, then sticking to them consistently.
On the other side, the second condition is that we’ve got plenty of time on our hands but not plenty of money to really make the most of it and keep our family happy. In other words, we have time but no resources to enjoy it. At least, having some money means we can have a cozy place to live call home, food always on the table, a good education for the kids, health care, and even freedom from debt and stress. Without money, we will miss out on what the world has to offer to us. There’s just so much fun to be had and great memories waiting to be made with the family, and yeah, that usually costs some dough. Sure, sometimes you don’t need to spend much, but you still need some cash. I’m not saying that money is everything, more over having it means that we will have all the happiness in the world. Indeed, having money won’t make us and our family instantly happy, but it will enhance happiness and help boost joy a bit.
So, judging by those two conditions, the ideal condition is we have money and plenty of time to actually enjoy it. That is our definition of success. There’s so much we can do if we have it both. We can use our money and time wisely. Focusing on what truly matters for us in the long run. Pursuing meaningful work or passions. Building strong relationships with our family. Experience and living the life that we dream of and enjoying it together with our loved ones. Maintaining good physical and mental health. And of course, by having it all together, this is also the essential one: We can focus to worship our God. We have plenty of time for our God but do not worry about have to making money.
Having money and plenty of time means we can really do a lot for others, correct?. Be someone who make a great impact and influence others in our community, even lending a hand to those who really need it. This isn’t a new idea at all. That’s why we have the term ‘philanthropists’. Sure, we don’t have to be a Bill and Melinda Gates giving away 80% of our fortune, moreover like Warren Buffett, who gives away an incredible 99% (wow!!) We are not millionaires, obviously! But, seriously, the money God gives us isn’t just for us, there’s a part of it that’s meant for the poor. Let’s help out where we can.
To wrap it up, we really need to ask ourselves, is our ladder to success now already on the right track? The truth is, many people don’t figure this out until they’ve been chasing after money for years but getting nothing in return. Or vice versa. The point is, by having that definition of success I’ve mentioned earlier, it hints at something deeper, intentional living. That we are not just working to survive or hoard wealth but to experience life and do meaningful things. True success isn’t just about earning wealth, but having the time and peace to enjoy what we have worked for. Surely, having it both will be wonderful.
Happy Ied ul-Fitr from Indonesia! Eid Mubarak! I hope your heart’s full of peace, your home’s buzzing with joy, and your life’s overflowing with blessings. I’ve been super busy getting everything ready for the Ied ul-Fitr feast. It’s always a blast having friends and family over to enjoy these awesome moments. Honestly, I haven’t spent much time in front of my laptop lately, and I really miss you all! I hope you find this note a bit useful and inspiring. Thanks a ton for taking the time to read it!
Love,
Kirana
