The Story of Success (Week #4)

I just got back from 5 days in New York where I attended BlogHer10 with 2 EM team members (Jen and Carrie Anne) and 2500+ other women.

Wandering around the streets of NY, the pathways of Central Park, the shops of 5th avenue, I realized everyone has a story about this place. The movies offer their stories, visitors from all over the world make up their stories about what NY is to them and then the locals have their own unique stories they tell themselves about the city in which they call home.

Everything has a story. Made up stories, stuff we tell ourselves and others about things, experiences and life. NY is NY. But your story about it might be drastically different than my story about it.

The highlight of my trip was being in conversation with Anna Last, the Editor-in-Chief of Everyday Food Magazine, a Martha Stewart publication at the offices of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia during an event organized by Martha’s Circle.

Anna is an incredible, down-to-earth successful women. We spoke about what success means to her, how she made it to “the top” and her tips for creating success.


Wandering around the Martha Space, I couldn’t help but get giddy. So this is what success is. This is “the top”.

At least that was my story of success. And I wanted it. I could taste it. I wanted servers like Martha had. (Not the ones carrying the food, the ones holding all the juicy, creative data.) Well, on a drastically, gigantically lower scale. I mean -- it’s MARTHA!

Or did I? Or was I just buying into someone else’s story of success? What was success to me? Am I successful? Is EM? Where am I?

I realized in my coaching call with Jennifer this week that I have been chasing success, because in my story, I had to be successful, like them. I had to accomplish something. I had to be somebody. Of course, the carrot was never in reach. It was never enough. The top always got higher and higher. So I kept climbing. Leaving so much behind.

That was my story of success. Never enough. Not achievable. Only people like Martha and that person over there can be “successful” - not me. The current level of wonderful success my business has achieved did not seem to matter to me, I did not taste it or even appreciate it. It was not enough, I needed more.

But since I have started my MomEsteem journey, I have found my One Who Knows. My voice, my soul. And that soul gently pointed out to me, that I can now let that made-up story go. That is no longer my story.

I can stop climbing, turn around and go back to re-discover everything I left behind.

Does this mean I stop working hard? Hell no. It simply means my story of success has changed. I am now living my version. Not yours, not theirs, and certainly not my gremlin’s.

Mine.

First Image by Two More Days

About Mom Esteem Michelle Davies, the founder of EverythingMom, is on a 12 week Self-Esteem Journey with Life Coach, Jennifer Pernfuss. Mom Esteem was inspired by the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem. We invite you to join the journey by joining our Mom Esteem Group or starting your own journey by contacting Jennifer.

 

 

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