Don’t aim for success

Don’t aim at success–the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long run–in the long run, I say–success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think of it.

Read more: http://www.gaia.com/quotes/Viktor_Frankl#ixzz0PA7TnvLk

Yesterday, I finished listening to Viktor Frankl’s classic book, “Man’s Search for Meaning.” It had been recommended by a couple of authors I read this summer. The book and the story of Dr. Frankl is truly riveting. I really like this quote though because it contains an essential truth. I recommend the book to you either to read or listen to as I did..