The following is the extract from The Paradox of Success by John R. O'neil. Though this book was published almost 30 years ago, it seems to me to be still thought-provoking and informative.
The long-distance success sought by many is a harmonious, synergistic fit between the tangible, measurable aspects of work and achivement and the intangibles of health, family, community, friendship, creativity, and altruistic service. This harmony is so hard to achieve because measurable goals are often easier to define and attain. It is simpler to satisfy externally imposed standards than to articulate and live up to our own internal ones. We are trained to judge ourselves by the applause and criticism of others--and in an era when spiritual values no longer guide most lives, approval is most likely to be sought and found in worldly realms. Even though we know the intangibles are worthwhile, they are more easily dismissed or their absence rationalized away. Thus gradually we become victims of an incomplete or corrupted version of success.
