Success and how we achieve it is of interest to most. The books on the shelves in bookstores throughout the world “shout” out promises of success to all who follow the advice of the words which fill their pages.

What are the characteristics of success and how we can assure it comes to our doorstep more often?

We have all felt the exhilarating sensation of success at some point in our lives. It generally comes after a particular event or as the result of achieving certain goals or objectives.

This feeling is typically the result of several things which come together to make us “feel” successful. This being the case, success is a sensation, not a situation. It isn’t what happens which makes us feel successful; rather how we sense what occurs.

For example, a student who gets 100 (on a scale of 1 to 100) on a test has a good reason to feel successful. Does this then mean someone who gets a 70 is a failure?

The answer isn’t so evident. For a student who has learning difficulties or, for a test where 70 was the highest grade given, it is quite possible for these students to feel successful. In addition, there are students who think it is the end of the world if they get a 90, while others celebrate the same grade for days on end.

It is not what happens or how it happens which defines success. Rather, how we perceive what has happened which gives the event context and significance. Success is not achieving a certain position in life or a making certain amount of money, rather the value we give an event.

How then can we get the Sweet Sensation of Success more frequently?

We tend to be our own harshest critics. Our internal dialogue can be brutal when we don’t achieve what we desire. Instead of beating ourselves up mentally, we can start by realizing no one is “perfect.” While we all have desirable character traits, we also make mistakes.

Instead of concentrating on what is “wrong” with our lives, we can instead concentrate on what is “right.” If we perceive there is nothing “right,” we can permit our marvelous mind to soar to another space and time when we have had the sensation of success.

Success does not depend on what we have achieved or lost, rather on how we interpret these events. For some, simply getting up in the morning is “success.” We can broaden our definition of success, giving ourselves permission to fall and fail every once in a while. Success is a feeling and there is no ceiling on the number of times we can feel the Sweet Sensation of Success.