Reading 1

Unit 5- Reading 1

Page 66

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

What is success? is it wealth? Fame? Power? We tend to think of success as something unusual, something that requires special talents to achieve. That’s because stories in the media about successful business executives, professional golfers, glamorous movie stars, best-selling authors, and powerful politicians lead us to believe that only a few special people are successful.

We may not hear about them, but ordinary people can be successful, too. Success is about reaching for something—and getting it. It is about having something you didn’t have before. it is aboutattaining something that is valued by others.

SETTING GOALS

Success begins with a clear goal, and attaining that goal requires ambition. Ambition is the energy that drives people to work hard, to learn more, and to seek opportunities to advance themselves. Some people have a clear goal, but they lack the ambition to make their dream come true. Other people have great ambition but no clear goal to work toward. They start one scheme after another but never seem to find success.

THE NEED FOR PERSISTENCE

All children begin life with great ambition. Consider the ambition that babies demonstrate as they try to sit up, crawl, and walk. Despite repeated failures, they keep trying until they succeed. what makes them keep trying? Persistence.

This is the ability to focus on a task despite interruptions, obstacles, and setbacks. Persistence is strong throughout childhood. During the teen years, however, a fear of failure or a fear of being laughed at by others for trying to “be somebody” may inhibit, or stop, their persistence. As a result, many teens seem to just quit trying.

THE ROLE OF PARENTS

If parents are aware that a lack of ambition is common in teenagers, they may be able to minimize it by providing positive learning experiences in the early years. For example, parents can encourage their young children to take on challenges, praise them for trying, and comfort them if they fail.

One of the strongest influences on a person’s ambition is the family. It is not a coincidence that successful parents tend to raisesuccessful children. However, is this due to heredity or upbringing? Evidence suggests that both play a role in determining ambition.

THE ROLE OF ECONOMIC STATUS

The economic status of a family also influences a person’s level of ambition. Young adults who grew up in poor families may be more focused on meeting the needs of today rather than reaching for the dreams of tomorrow. Or they may have great ambition but lack the means to reach their goals.

In contrast, ambition may be unnecessary for those who grew up in rich families because, at least financially, they are already successful. Not surprisingly, ambition seems to coincide most often with middle-class status. Although financially secure, middle—class so families may not feel socially secure. This status anxiety fuels the ambition needed to reach for success.

THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY

Despite their backgrounds, it is people with dynamic personalities who are most likely to succeed. These are people who don’t wait for things to happen; these are people who take, effective action to make things happen. With their eyes on the future, their goals dominate the choices they make.

They learn the skills they will need so through education or training. They expIolt—that is, take advantage of—opportunities to broaden their knowledge through experience and observation. They seek assistance from anyone who might further their chances to succeed, including family members, friends, coaches, and colleagues.

ATTAINING SUCCESS

And finally success is very likely to happen for these dynamic people. For each person it will be different, though, because individuals generate their own definitions of success. So he or she will get the job, win the race, earn the diploma, start the business, or climb the mountain—and the goal will become a reality.