Stepping Stones

Via Stephen Downes and a Fast Company article, I resonated (as did Stephen) with these two summaries of what success means.

John Mackey

Founder And CEO, Whole Foods Market
Austin, Texas
www.wholefoods.com

A few years ago someone asked me to write down what success meant to me and the principles I followed to achieve it. My answer then is still how I feel. Here’s what I wrote:

I create my own reality through my thoughts and emotions.
I am never a victim of anyone else.
I follow my heart in all circumstances.
Life is an adventure. Seize the day!
When confronted with alternatives I always choose the one that creates the most excitement within me.
I do what I’m afraid to do until it doesn’t scare me anymore.
I would rather be happy than right.
Love is the only reality. Everything else is merely a dream or illusion.
Forgiveness is the key to healing all relationships, and leads to happiness.
Always tell the truth.
Giving and receiving are one and the same.
I choose to be healthy.

Whole Foods Market (1996 revenues: $900 million) is the country’s largest natural-foods grocer. It was founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas. It now has 74 stores in 17 states.

Helen Tworkov

Founding Editor, “Tricycle: The Buddhist”
Review, New York, New York
tricycle@echonyc.com

The most important ingredient for success is the willingness to fail, to be made a fool of, to fall on your face a hundred times a day. And to be dumb. What makes repeated failure endurable is being in love with the work you do and being convinced of its value. Then the process becomes self-rewarding.

Try not to make hard divisions between work and play. Figure out how to make your job fun, creative, and inspiring for you and for others. And don’t underestimate everyone’s need to be affirmed. That includes: coworkers, suppliers, the janitor, messengers, advertisers, saints, and sinners.

Helen Tworkov is the editor of “Zen in America” (Kodansha, 1994).