Success is the optimal balance of talent, time and treasure, and how we use and understand each.
By Robert A. Scott, President, Adelphi University
Reading the bio鈥檚 of the 2009 David Award honorees, and thinking about those听honored in the past, I reflected on the meaning of success. These men are recognized for听accomplishments in their professions and in the community. They are heralded as听successful. But what is success?
Most people seem to think of success in terms of achievement in the realms of听status, wealth, or power – – in relation to others. I wonder, though is this dimension, 鈥渋n听relation to others,鈥� necessary to understand success? I think not.
For me, success is the optimal balance of talent, time and treasure, and how we听use and understand each in terms of status, power, and wealth.
By 鈥渢alent鈥�, I mean how we use the gifts of mind, body and spirit we have as a听result of heritage, nourishment, practice, motivation, happenstance, and luck. No scholar,听athlete, artist, or community leader of note is born successful. It takes circumstance and听initiative to develop talents to their fullest.
By 鈥渢ime鈥�, I mean time for others as well as self. A single-minded focus on听honing skills, enhancing abilities, and accumulating knowledge may result in the听maximum development of talent, but may also result in a life devoid of the pleasures that听come from relaxation, conversation, companionship, and community involvement. Time听is a scarce resource, just as talent is; neither should be squandered.
By 鈥渢reasure鈥�, I mean that with which we start and that which we gain. Just as we听can lose sight of important dimensions of life by focusing on achievement through talent听alone, or by being selfish in the use of time, we can lose perspective – – and sometimes听integrity – – by focusing solely on the accumulation of wealth. Those who measure听success through the size of bank accounts or the brand of cars and yachts, who keep score听by counting currency, may know the cost of everything but the value of nothing.
This is not to say that we should ignore financial rewards, or that money is听somehow bad. No, it is to argue for balance in how we organize our lives.
In my view, the successful life is one that achieves symmetry in the attention听given to the use and understanding of talent, time and treasure for one鈥檚 own fulfillment听of life鈥檚 dreams, and realizes that status, power, and money are measures used by others听without regard to our own standards. Who matters more? Them, or you? For the David听Award winners, the answer seems clear.
Networking Magazine, February 2009. (The 鈥淒avid Award鈥� is presented to ten men each听year selected for outstanding community service and professional accomplishment.)
For further information, please contact:
Todd Wilson
Strategic Communications Director听
p 鈥� 516.237.8634
e 鈥� twilson@adelphi.edu