The Characters You Will Meet on the Journey to Success

Specialist in Management and Finance

When I was younger...

I used to constantly think about success, search for it, and read about it.

I read about passion, persistence, ambition, excellence, and knowledge.

I believed that success was largely tied to the art of relationships—knowing others, building a strong network of acquaintances, and finding the right partner, the right friend, and the right mentor.

Over the years, I discovered that while this is true, it is not the whole truth.

Throughout the journey to success, you will indeed meet many people.

Some will open doors for you.

Some will grant you an opportunity.

And some will teach you a lesson you will never forget.

Yet, the most influential characters in your future might not be human beings at all.

You won't meet them in a meeting.

You won't find their names on a business card.

And you won't be able to add them to the contact list on your phone.

Nevertheless, they may impact your future more than anyone else.

As time passed, I discovered that life does not test you only on how you build your relationships with others, but also on how you manage your relationship with yourself. It tests how you handle those internal roles that manifest along the path whenever you draw closer to a grander dream.

Some come to test you, some come to discourage you, some come to inspire you, and some come to teach you something that cannot be learned from any book.

The first one I met was Doubt.

It used to visit me whenever I thought of a new project, whenever I dreamed of something bigger than my current situation, and whenever I stood before a life-altering decision.

It would sit beside me and quietly ask: What if you don't succeed?

In the beginning, I tried to run away from it, but then I discovered that the problem wasn’t its presence. The problem arose when I allowed it to lead the way. Doubt is a good advisor, but a terrible leader.

Then I met Fear.

It would speak to me about time, age, the years passing by so quickly, and dreams that require longer lifetimes. Every time it looked at the clock, Disappointment followed.

It was present every time I failed, every time an opportunity was lost, and every door was shut.

Hope, on the other hand, saw what had not yet happened and reminded me that the future knows nothing of yesterday's failures.

Then I met Patience.

It was a humble figure that woke up every morning, returned to the very same work, and repeated the exact same attempt, without knowing when the harvest would finally come.

And finally came Ambition.

It was always pointing toward another goal, never content with stopping. It pushed me to see further than my eyes could reach, because it knew that summits are not places to settle down and dwell.

Conclusion

I learned that managing my relationship with them is the ultimate secret to crossing the entire path.

I cannot get rid of them, but I can choose:

• When to listen.
• When to turn a blind eye.
• When to ignore.
• And when to hold on tight.

Success is not just about arrival. Success is changing the entire path while still holding onto yourself.

By: Mohammed bin Saleh

Specialist in Management and Finance