15 Jan Success Is the Best Revenge
Original Spanish version published in El Comercio newspaper (Peru) on January 1, 2015
Some time ago I wrote about this same subject and was very pleased with the comments I received from those who could relate to this phrase. It is certainly a very motivating expression!
I have been using it for years. I use it to comfort and cheer those up who feel snubbed, unrecognized, not valued, and rejected or plain and simply disparaged by friends, family or co-workers. I also use it to comfort someone who has fallen prey to gossip, slander, deceit, disloyalty, or even abuse or betrayal in their professional or personal life.
“Success is the best revenge”, I tell them, looking at all of them in the eyes with a mischievous smile.
“Really, is that true? Can success serve as revenge?” they ask skeptically. “Yes, it can”, I tell them, and I do so as seriously and as honestly as only someone who has deeply felt it and experienced this can.
And I tell them, smiling, how much I have used this phrase to comfort me, inspire me, and make me stronger in similar situations.
Like many others, I have suffered the hurtful acts or words of those who have chosen to use their power over others to harm or hurt them. But I’ve never been able to understand these heartless beings who seek to harm or even destroy others for no apparent reason and, surprisingly, but all too often, for fun, envy, hidden complexes, or because of some sort of meaningless conflict that they’re trying to work out for themselves. Sometimes, this pain is also caused by those who insult or slander us in an attempt to bring us down to their level.
But let me tell you: the saying works. It brings out the fighters in usand it inspires us. And it gives us yet another powerful reason to pull ourselves together, cheer up, and move on! Take revenge by being successful? Yessss!
But, mind you, revenge per se isn’t what should inspire or motivate us. Revenge itself is a very negative and even destructive emotion that eats up our energy. What encourages or motivates us is the success part of the message. It reminds us that we are entitled to be successful regardless of what others think or say, and that success is part of our destiny (even if it takes a while sometimes). It reminds us that we can accomplish anything we set our minds to and, most importantly, it will eventually help us to look at others in the eye, as equals, but this time intrinsically better. Much better!
Because, when we start acting towards success with confidence (and success is defined on an individual basis and may have nothing to do with material things or with any stereotypes that others create about it), we become self-possessed. We regain our dignity and self-esteem, and even if the road that leads to success is long, we keep at it with a gleam in our eye and the confidence that comes with knowing that we are capable of succeeding on our own terms. What a pleasure!
At that point, it will suffice to look happily, satisfied, and smiling at those who sought to harm us, lie about us, or hurt our reputation. We will feel the immense satisfaction of having accomplished our goals and objectives by working seriously and correctly, with integrity and professionalism, and, above all, even when they thought us incapable of accomplishing that which we set out to do. Nothing beats flashing them a great big smile (ignoring the anger that our success may cause them) and moving on with our lives and our plans, not giving them one more ounce of our energy!
Yes, success is a great motivator and surely the best healthy revenge. And it feels so good!
*IT WORKS
The phrase works. It shows what we are made of and inspires us!
*SATISFACTION
It will suffice to look at those who sought to harm us, lie about us or hurt our reputation.
