Bill Strickland, I first learned about Strickland in a Fast Company article from August of 1998 (by Sara Terry). Strickland is the Founder of Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild and Bidwell Training Center Inc., both Pittsburgh-based organizations for urban change designed to help people pull themselves out of a life in the ghetto, has an amazing biography called Make the Impossible Possible (check out his short movie, too).
I have never heard better articulated the mission I stand for in living life than how he describes success in his book. He says:
“I’m convinced that no genuine success occurs except as a natural expression of the human heart’s search for meaning.
Yes, there are plenty of successful people who make a lot of money or have a acheived high corporate positions, who run organizations or have won elective office, who are clueless when it comes to understanding what life is all about.
The fact is that kind of success is only half of the equation. Our drive for titles and money is too often based on a desperate need to prove ourselves to others, rather than the passion to live a life in a way that draws on our true values and talents, enlarges our spirits and allows us to be who we need to be to live rich, satisfying lives.
Real success, genuine success can’t be chosen and chased down. You assemble it moment by moment, out of the dreams you choose to follow and the values and passions you share. It’s not something you have a choice in, it’s a process that occurs whether we pay attention or not.
When we focus on anything other than the things that have real meaning in our life, our life becomes shaped by the random circumstances of the world around us.
Trying to find meaning in material success is a losing game…[it] is an addiction, just like boose or drugs. It burns up your time and your energy, drains the humanity from your life and leaves you wanting more.
Meaning is not something you can add to your life in limited amounts or defer to a time in your life after you’ve made it. Meaning is your life. It’s who you are. It’s all you’ll ever have and…[it's] the only practical foundation for a life worth living. No genuine success in your personal or professional life is possible until you trust the power of the values and experiences that matter to you most.”
Thank you, Bill.
Don’t believe Bill Strickland? Read Success Built to Last by Jerry Porras, Stewart Emery, Mark Thompson.
