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HomeBlogOf pumpkins, green and ripe
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In the US, from where I write this, we are in the season for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Colors, smells, and tastes of the Fall are prevalent, and everything takes on the color of the leaves and the smell of pumpkin. Many people choose to either cook or decorate with these vegetables (whole or as Jack O’Lanterns). This year, we had planted some pumpkin seeds from which sprouted five beautiful fruits that had a decent size by the time they were ripe. My daughters and I had a ton of fun carving lanterns out of four of them (if you haven’t done it, you should- tons of fun and great to build fond memories). 

A few days after Halloween, I took the pumpkins out to our backyard (which has access to an open forest) for deer and squirrels to feast. They did, but as time went by, they started rotting and even though the critters ate them all up, their gradual decay was evident. And I think that in fruit and in humans, when you’re ripe, you rot, but when you’re green you grow.

There is a definition of success I quite like: “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal” (E. Nightingale). This contrasts with the general notion that mistakenly equates success to higher status or more money. A few implications from this:

  • Progress is essential to success. Just sitting at the top of the mountain or standing in a plateau does not mean you are successful.

  • We need to define clear goals. Otherwise, how will you determine if you are making progress? Anyone with worthy goals who is making progress against them is already successful.

  • Make the goals stretch. Make them as challenging as possible and take action that will get you closer to the goal, step by step (“progressively”).

Even if you are making more money and / or going up the ladder, if you got there (and perhaps still go on) without clear goals that can be tracked step by step, you might be more drifting than making progress. You might be riding the Gulf Stream of professional life. 

Just like pumpkins in the backyard, if you are growing and making progress, you are green- that is, thriving and vibrant. But as soon as you stop growing (and thus learning, striving, struggling against a challenging goal, developing, getting wiser through mistakes) you’re ripe… and you know what that means. 

When planning a vacation, you are always happier going towards it than back. Happier going to a party than going back home or building towards a big event. Goals can be whatever. You need to know what they are and realize them, step by step. This is the essence of success.

Happiness occurs at the intersection of goals and progress. So, when you define goals and meet them, you have reached a plateau. This is the time to set new targets and begin the cycle anew. 

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