We all have a picture in mind of what it looks like to “arrive” or ways we gauge when someone has “made it” in life. Sometimes, we look at people in professional sports or accomplished CEOs and think they’ve really achieved success.
But what if we helped our kids understand how to be successful in life through a different lens—a lens greater than temporal or positional standards? And what if we were their ultimate example of this? Every man lives, and every man dies. On your death bed, you’ll want to know you lived successfully. Here are 3 signs you’ll die a successful man.
1. Daily Loving the People You’re Given
I’m naturally a checklist guy. I add reminders on my to-do list for ways to invest daily in the people I love. But my family is not a checklist item, and I never want them to feel like one. I want my wife to feel appreciated and my kids to know that I always have time for them. In their eyes, it’s my daily way of life that speaks much louder than just my words or my checklist.
Prioritizing my wife’s needs over my own, putting down my phone to genuinely listen to my child, giving intentional affection and attention to my kids… These acts of love may seem small but can be some of the greatest measures of life success. A man’s family is not only one of his greatest gifts but one of his greatest investments. At the end of our lives, our success will be measured by how much we’ve intentionally loved the people we were given.
2. Faithfully Stewarding the Time and Talents You Have
Every man has something unique to him—talent. And every man has something that is the same for everyone—time. What a man does daily and consistently with these two things will determine not only the trajectory of his life but the impact of it as well. Whatever you excel at, become the best at it that you can be, and with the time you’ve been given, find ways to invest it rather than waste it.
Steward these two things well, and you’ll earn the trust and respect of others. Waste these two things, and you’ll accumulate a mountain of regrets. The most successful man is not always the one who can boast of the biggest attention-grabbing achievements, but oftentimes, the one who most faithfully stewards the smallest daily investments of his time and talents.
3. Intentionally Leaving a Legacy That Will Outlive You
There’s a proverb that says, “Children’s children are the crown of old men.” This is a simple yet powerful reminder that the greatest legacy we can have is the one we leave behind us after we’re gone. How have I invested in the next generation through my love and with the investments of my time and talents? Have I passed down timeless values and principles that will bless not only my children but my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and beyond?
A successful life is not measured so much by what you have, as it is by what you give, not so much by how long you live, but by how you live. Why? Because a full life is one poured out into others. One of the most motivating quotes to me as a dad is from Andy Stanley, when he said, “Your greatest accomplishment in life may not be something you do, but someone you raise.” Your legacy will be found as much in what you leave as in how you live.
Sound off: What advice would you give to somebody who asks, “How do I be successful in life?”
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “How can you tell if a person is successful at something?”