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SUCCESS— The art of steering who we become

Success draws attention because it seems easy to spot, like a neighbor who just bought an overly shiny car, yet it remains surprisingly hard to define. We watch for it in others, we try to capture it for ourselves, and sometimes we’re almost afraid of it, as if succeeding might turn us into a version of ourselves that even our own mirror wouldn’t recognize.

And yet, when we take a step back, we realize that success is nothing like a sudden, spectacular thunderclap: it’s more like a slow inner simmer, a dish that takes its time before revealing its flavor.

In truth, success is never just a final result. It’s the visible tip of an iceberg made of invisible work—except this one doesn’t sink anyone, it builds us. We applaud the flower, but we forget the seed that had to face cold soil, sunless days, and haphazard watering. Success requires consistency, clarity of mind, and loyalty to one’s goals… even on the days when staying under the covers feels far more appealing.

It begins long before any goal is reached. It’s crafted in the small daily decisions made when no one is watching, in the sacrifices that make your teeth clench, and in the efforts that earn no “likes.” Success is a bit like keeping a plant alive: you have to persist even when it looks like it’s sulking.

Et surtout, le succès n’est jamais totalement individuel. Il dépend des relations, des encouragements, des critiques (même celles qui piquent un peu), et des rencontres qui nous ouvrent des portes qu’on n’avait même pas vues. Contrairement à ce qu’on pourrait croire, le succès n’isole pas : il relie. C’est un point de rencontre, pas un piédestal.

And above all, success is never entirely individual. It depends on relationships, encouragement, criticism (even the kind that stings a little), and the encounters that open doors we hadn’t even noticed. Contrary to what we might think, success doesn’t isolate, it connects. It’s a meeting point, not a pedestal.

When it finally shows up, success often surprises us. Not because it falls from the sky, but because it reveals who we’ve become along the way. It transforms us before it rewards us. It changes how we see ourselves, how we behave, and even how we tell our own story. Success is therefore not a peak but a maturation; not a firework, but a coherence settling into place.

This construction rests on a fertile tension between who we are and who we want to become. Success doesn’t eliminate lack, it puts it to work. It appears when desire stops running in every direction and turns into a clear orientation. To succeed is not to “obtain,” but to steer. It means accepting that the unfinished pushes us forward, that imperfection calls to us, and that effort is a form of loyalty to oneself, even when a nap sounds far more appealing.

Success is above all an inner movement. It consists in turning discomfort into momentum and uncertainty into trajectory. It is born where identity meets desire, where the present converses with the future, where we agree to step outside our habits (even the ones we’re fond of). Lack then becomes a constructive energy, not a hole to be filled.

Success doesn’t erase weaknesses; it illuminates them and turns them into resources. It makes the unfinished a promise rather than a problem. When desire becomes clear, inner chaos becomes a compass, and the dream turns into a project.

Success begins with the ability to organize one’s aspirations, to turn desire into intention, intention into action, and action into progress. To succeed is no longer to accumulate external proof, but to align one’s behaviors with who one wishes to become. It requires moving forward despite hesitation, persevering through dips in motivation, and staying true to one’s values—even when Netflix releases a new series.

True success is not a trophy but a personal transformation. It is measured less by visible results than by inner evolution. It appears when we stop chasing an idealized version of ourselves and instead embrace a more authentic, more demanding, and sometimes funnier one.

Success is therefore not an endpoint but a lasting orientation. It doesn’t seek to eliminate lack, but to give it meaning. It doesn’t aim for perfection, but for a just and honest movement. And perhaps the most beautiful form of success is simply moving forward with clarity, turning every imperfection into an opportunity to become a little more oneself, with humor, ideally.

Ultimately, success is neither a dazzling feat reserved for a chosen few nor a trophy held aloft on an imaginary podium. It is a discreet path, sometimes bumpy, often demanding, where we mostly learn to know ourselves better.

It is built through tiny choices, quiet efforts, encouragement received at the right moment, and moments of self-questioning that wake us up more effectively than a strong espresso. Success is not a bright destination on a map, but a way of moving, adjusting, growing, and, ideally, keeping a sense of humor when the road gets complicated.

If one had to sum it up, one could say that succeeding is not about becoming someone else, but about becoming a little more oneself—with consistency, courage, and a healthy dose of self‑irony. Success isn’t what waits for us at the end of the road; it’s the way we walk it. And perhaps that’s where its true beauty lies.

With the aim of helping, you apply these ideas to your personal development, and become a more effective and authentic person, capable of shaping a better future, I suggest the book MY SUCCESS IS YOUR SUCCESS.

This book is designed to guide you in creating a clear roadmap for personal growth, success, and happiness, a roadmap that requires neither a compass, nor a GPS, nor a mobile app, just a bit of clarity.

Through a series of questions, quotations, and reflections, MY SUCCESS IS YOUR SUCCESS, offers readers the tools they need to explore their own soul in depth, discover their true passions, and improve both their effectiveness and their efficiency. This, in turn, enables them to shape their own success and then help those around them reach the same goal, without having to reinvent the wheel each time.

The ideas presented in this book draw on forty years of experience working with local and international organizations, businesses, and consulting services in change management, transition, and marketing.

Available:

This 404‑page personal development book, available in both French (America & Europe) and English and published by WebTech Publishing, is available online at: www.lulu.com   For more details, visit: www.webtechpublishing.com

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