Aung Sithar - The Road Where Dreams Begin

Chapter (1)

If only you knew where you were going.

The journey is enjoyable.

I find that almost everyone has a hard time defining success. But how can you achieve success if you don't know what it is? That's why I want to help you define your own success. Success is really a journey that you always have to take.

A few months ago, I announced to 74 employees of INJOY, a company I founded in 1985 that teaches leadership and personal development courses, that our company would be moving from its current headquarters in San Diego, California, to Atlanta, Georgia.

Before I could say that, it took me about six months to make the decision to move. Dick Peterson, the president of INJOY, and I brainstormed a lot of questions about what would happen. We then weighed the pros and cons and had our CFO do some financial analysis. Ultimately, the answer was that we needed to change, both economically, logistically, and professionally. Not just any company. As individuals, we knew that if we wanted to grow and progress beyond where we were, we had to change.

It was a tough decision, I never thought about moving from San Diego. My husband and I moved here from Indiana, our kids were born and raised here, and San Diego has become like home to me. But for the greater good, I had to give that up. What was worse was my staff. Most of the staff are from San Diego, and there was a lot of pressure on them not to move. And I can't take my eyes off the moment I made that decision. They all looked surprised, disappointed, sad, and horrified as they left.

Then he explained the situation in Atlanta with some videos. He also said that they would have to find work once they moved to Atlanta. So, after the chairman and I talked about moving for about fifty minutes, he introduced us to two real estate agents that Atlanta had brought in and asked them what they had in mind.

Agreeing to go on the trip

We never expected the reaction from our employees. We proposed a major change that would dramatically change their lives. Surprisingly, over 90 percent of our employees were either going to make the change or at least considering it. We wanted to join them on their journey.

Their strange behavior made me think. Why would so many people want to leave their families, their friends, and their hometowns and move from one place to another? In the end, I came up with four reasons.

1. We gave a good picture of where they were going.

Our conversations with two real estate agents, Nick (K), and I were a vision of what the future of Atlanta could be like for our employees. They saw a better environment, a larger population, opportunities to improve their quality of life, and opportunities to take the company to the next level.

2. We answered their questions.

Such a big change certainly raises a lot of insecurities, concerns, and questions for people. Where are the offices, what are the schools like, the real estate market, the culture and entertainment, the state's tax system, etc. We were able to answer almost all of those questions in the first meeting.

3. They have experienced personal success in their lives.

INJOY as a team has achieved success. The people in the team have not only been responsible for the company's success, but they have also enjoyed the fruits of that success. They have a sense of purpose. They are constantly improving on a personal level. And they have been able to help their people.

4. They want to continue to get a unique style with this company that they can't find anywhere else.

A few weeks before announcing the move , I heard one of our employees talking about how much they can help people at INJOY, and how they can't do that at any other company. When someone realizes their uniqueness, they don't want to give up or lose out. The uniqueness in their lives has changed their perspective and priorities.

Yes, your employees want to change. Now, what do I do if I don’t want to change? What does success mean to me? You may not want to go. This is your journey. You can create a journey that is not with us, but closer, farther, than we are. That journey can take you further than you ever dreamed, even further than you ever imagined. To do this, you need to have the same four reasons as our INJOY employees. A vision of where you are going, questions and answers for your success, knowledge of what success is, and the ability to change to improve.

" Success is for everyone."

The conventional picture of success

The problem with successful people is not that they can't achieve success. The main obstacle for them is their misconception of what success is. The biggest misconception about success is that it requires talent, intelligence, magic, or something that they don't have.

People have the wrong answers to questions like what success is and what it looks like. They see success in the following people and their possessions.

- Bill Gates' wealth

- Arnold's body

- Einstein's intelligence

- Michael Jordan's athletic ability

- Donald Trump's economic power

- Jackie Kennedy's love for people

- Created by Walt Disney

- Mother Teresa's heart, etc.

That philosophy is close to success. We believe that success is about being like other people. But how can we be more than we are? You shouldn't be either. That's important. If you're trying to be like others, you're not going to succeed. You're going to destroy the potential you have to be.

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The wrong models of success

People are not just trapped in the trap of wanting to be like successful people. They have a false image of success that they see as successful. This is something we must avoid in our pursuit of success.

Wealth

The most common definition of success is wealth. Many people think that if they are rich, they are successful. But wealth is not success, nor is it contentment. Industrialist John D. Rossella was a very wealthy man who gave away $350 million during his lifetime. When asked how much more money he would have made, he replied, “A little more.” King Solomon of ancient Israel said, “Those who love money will never be satisfied, and those who love wealth will never be satisfied with their wages.”

Aristotle Honassi, a Greek millionaire, once said, “After a certain point, money doesn’t matter.” “What really matters is success,” he added.

A unique feeling

One misconception about success is that people think that if they feel happy and successful, they have achieved success. Thinking that they are successful can be harder than trying to be rich. Donald Trump said, “The real measure of success is happiness. I have friends who don’t have as much money as I do, but are happier than I am. They are more successful than I am.” Everyone thinks that Trump is successful, and he thinks that happiness is success. His friends probably think that Trump is more successful. And that’s how people tend to attribute success to what they don’t have.

The constant pursuit of happiness is what leads many people astray. If you set happiness as your goal, you will fail. You will be on a roller coaster. Because life is always changing. So, as your emotions change, you will either succeed or fail. Life is uncertain. Feelings are not constant. Happiness is not a consistent measure of success.

"If you make happiness your goal, you are doomed to failure."

Wanting to be something, wanting to own something

When I was a kid, I really wanted a bike. People with bikes thought they were successful. And I really wanted to be the school's basketball player. And I wanted to be the student council president. I got all of that. And it was all there was to it. But wanting something doesn't always lead to success. In fact, wanting only brings temporary happiness. Success can't be achieved this way, and it can't be measured.

Power

A man named Charles McElroy once joked, “Power is the best temporary madness.” There is some truth in his words. Power can make you think you have succeeded for a while. But that is not true success.

Power is a test of character. “Every man can stand a little bit of suspense. But if you want to test a man, give him power,” Abraham Lincoln once said. Power can be a powerful force in the hands of good men, but it can be a destructive force in the hands of evil men. Power in itself is neither good nor bad.

Goal setting

There are people who celebrate when they reach a goal. Yes. They have achieved something. They think they have achieved it. I call it goal disorder. I used to think that success was simply achieving something, achieving a goal. Until you reach a predetermined goal, that mentality leads to progress. But over time, this too becomes limited.

“The pattern of success for any two people is not the same.”

You can't say that you'll be successful or satisfied with every goal you reach. Just look at Michael Jordan. He said he was going to retire from basketball because he had achieved all the goals he wanted, and he couldn't stay that way for long. He was far from that basketball court. He went back to playing in the minor leagues for a while. So success isn't a list of goals to be achieved. It's a destination to reach. It's a journey to be followed.

The true picture of success

So, are you on your way to success? If you think you need to be successful, you need two things: a true picture of success and the true rules to get there.

The picture of success is not the same for any two people. Because we are all created differently. But the process of achieving success is the same for all. It is based on unchanging laws. Based on my experience studying the subject of success for many years, and my friendship with successful people, I would like to define success in this way.