Have you ever met a single adult who aspired to become a failure? No, everyone wants to succeed. But what is success? Ask a dozen people and you may get a dozen answers.

I once heard that when the late billionaire J. Paul Getty was asked that question, he responded, “Rise early, work late, and strike oil!” Perhaps that formula worked for Getty, but it is not likely to work for you. A friend of mine shared this definition: “Success is making the most of who you are with what you’ve got.” I like that.

Every person has the potential to make a positive impact on the world. Success is not measured by the amount of money you possess or the position you attain but rather in what you do with what you’ve got. Position and money can be squandered or abused, but they can also be used to help others.

We typically speak of success in specific areas of life, such as financial success, educational success, or vocational success. We also attach the word to sports, family, religion, and relationships. What we mean when we say that people are successful in one of these areas is that they accomplished the goals they set for themselves.

Whatever the category and whatever our view of success, we are more likely to succeed if we effectively love people.

SUCCESS IN BUSINESS...
Let’s think for a moment of business success. Tom Peters, author of Thriving on Chaos said, “Only companies that stay attached to their customers will survive and prosper.” Peters is talking about relationships. True business success is always built on relationships.

Psychologist Kevin Leman, author of Winning the Rat Race Without Becoming a Rat, offers three laws for success in business:

Number One: People love to buy anything, especially if they like the person who is selling it to them.
Number Two: You build relationships one conversation at a time.
Number Three: Know your customers and selling your product will take care of itself.

Leman concludes that the Golden Rule, “Treat others as you would like to be treated,” is the key to all successful businesses. All of these business principles call for an attitude of love and will be greatly strengthened by knowing and speaking the primary love language of your business associates.

...AND SUCCESS IN RELATIONSHIPS
What is true as a guiding principle for business success is also true in the field of human resources. Many successful companies have realized that their greatest asset is the people who work for them. They also recognize that negative work environments can create a tension that rules the office, and productivity is decreased. I know of nothing more effective in changing the work climate than understanding and practicing the concepts of the five love languages.

 

...and you? What degree of success do you feel in your vocational relationships? If you wanted to improve relationships with your coworkers, with whom would you begin? To what degree are you drawing upon the love of God in your efforts to love others? How might you strengthen your love relationship with God?