When I won the E&Y Entrepreneur Award, I was asked what it meant. I told them I think the award is a recognition not of what I have already achieved, but of the judges’ recognition of my potential to even become better.

Indeed, my life has been a paradoxical thing about what I really want. Everyday I yearn for early success so that I could take it easy and not have to prove myself. But on the other hand, I get up everyday excited over the prospect that the best is yet to come.

Which make me think… Early success is great but what would be the excitement if I know that my best days are over?

What is there to look forward to.?

I know different people would have different takes, but I clearly would not be happy if I have the understanding that I have already reached my peak — that my best days was in college when I was the best sports player, or won a beauty pageant. What about the dot com millionaire who made 35 million dollars in the late 90’s , and know he may never do anything near like it ever again?

On second thought, maybe early success is not as fulfilling as I thought. I want to choose to live with the excitement that I still have mountains to conquer, that my business still can get better, that my best writings and speeches are yet to come, and that there will be more places to visit, more customers to keep, and more challenges to overcome.

Maybe the last thing I would want is to be like Alexander who cried that there would be no more lands to conquer.
How about you. What is your outlook in life?

Isn’t it a good choice to live life knowing success will come, and not to reach it in due haste, but enjoy the journey knowing you will arrive in due time, and that the best journey is that which is enjoyed on the way, rather than on the speed in which you arrive?

Is it a good idea to plan so that you can slowly peak, instead of reaching the peak early? … and then going downhill from thence on?