What is success and what does it mean? After contemplating what it means to me, I came up with the thought that success is in the eyes of the beholder. If you are focused on money, then, when you have a lot of money you may feel that you are successful. If you are focused on power, then, when in a powerful position you believe that you are successful. If you are focused on relationships, then, when you have a lot of meaningful relationships you feel that you are successful. If you are against material things and want what’s good for the environment, then, you are successful when you believe you are one with the environment. In other words, success is very personal to each of us. Even though I believe the environment is important, my success comes to me in the form of relationships…my family, friends and associates. My goal is to nurture and maintain these relationships, such as helping when I can and offering support when required. What is YOUR meaning of success?

This year I met Lorna Hines who is a Real Estate Consultant who teaches and coaches effective and efficient dialogues for buying and selling homes. She said, “The power of negotiating is the ability to walk away; and, the skill of negotiating is never having to.” What a profound concept. I learned long ago that the best negotiators are those who do not damage the relationship between the parties. In August 2007, I had the opportunity to talk with Coach Bill Walsh who told me that his success came from the fact that he maintained relationships throughout his life, even when negotiating with others.

The environment and relationships impact our life. Those people who influenced me most pushed me in the direction of continuous education. My deep yearning for knowledge actually made the learning happen. What I have found is that the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know. I truly believe that continuing education and building on skills is the key to a successful life that can be shared with others. How has the environment and relationships impacted your life and who you are?