Success Is Not Enough
This is about a distinguished figure in the corporate world—an industry veteran and technology executive—who has enjoyed a steady ascent in his career. However, beneath his formidable achievements lies an enduring quandary: is there more to happiness than the relentless pursuit of success?
Now, it is not uncommon for individuals in high-powered positions to lead lives fraught with incessant stress and little reprieve. In their ceaseless quest for greater success, they hope to fill the void that resides within. Yet, in the case of our protagonist, his achievements have not alleviated this sense of emptiness. Despite all his triumphs, he yearns for a deeper personal fulfilment that continues to elude him.
For countless hours, spanning several months, he embarked on a profound journey of introspection. He engaged in soliloquies, engaging in dialogue with himself, and attentively listened to his own revelations, hoping to uncover the hidden truth buried within his psyche.
There is something innately human about the way we unravel our innermost thoughts. We tend to disclose information in a hierarchical manner—beginning with the most superficial aspects before gradually delving into the core of our being, and sometimes even venturing into the darker recesses of our souls.
Our protagonist unwittingly played this intricate game, driven by a subconscious desire to expose and conceal certain aspects of himself. This internal struggle persisted, its intensity waxing and waning with each passing day.
Gradually, he learned to listen more intently and speak less, reserving his thoughts for his own contemplation.
Then, as if illuminated by the ethereal glow of the twilight’s blue hour, a revelation struck him. It was the pursuit of success itself that had been draining his vitality all along.
But how could this be?
The very success he had relentlessly pursued and eventually attained had consumed him to the point where it became his sole identity. He was no longer a living, breathing individual; rather, he existed solely as a symbol of success in the eyes of the world.
No one witnessed the arduous journey he undertook; they only saw the final outcome.
To truly grow and evolve, he realized that he had to relinquish this constraining identity.
However, if he were to let go of his self-perception as a success, what would he be? It was a profoundly unsettling question, one that caused him to cling tightly to his carefully crafted image.
This struggle extended beyond his self-perception of success; it applied to every self-image he had constructed throughout his life.
The image became the master, and he became the slave.
The only path to liberation lay in shedding all of these self-imposed images and embracing a state of unencumbered freedom—a return to his authentic, unconditioned self. Yet, the successful executive had not experienced such freedom since his formative years as a child.
In this journey of self-discovery, he found himself yearning to rediscover the untainted innocence and boundless potential that characterized his youth—a time when the weight of expectations had not yet burdened his spirit.