Beyond the Bubble: Cultivating Inner Success for Lasting Achievement
- Jul 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 4
By Malia Wofford
Ever feel stuck, repeating patterns, wondering why genuine growth eludes you? Perhaps you’re attracting opportunities, yet struggling to hold onto them? True success isn’t just about what you achieve outside; it’s profoundly shaped by the order within your heart.
For 23 years, I lived in a comfortable bubble. It offered a false sense of stability and community. This perfect little bubble, however, obscured a significant truth: the lack of true personal growth present in my life.
The Bursting Point: Confronting Inadequacy
A forced shift prompted my departure from that familiar environment. It was an incredibly refreshing period. But it wasn't long before I noticed something striking: many of the new individuals I was connecting with seemed remarkably further along in life. Many of them had pillars of support and help that I didn’t have. There was a strong sense of direction, budding success and confidence naturally oozing out of them.
One day, as I approached this group from a distance, I literally froze. A wave of insecurity washed over me, dragging me down a slippery slope into comparison, jealousy, and envy. That was never me in years gone by. In that moment, I faced a crucial decision. Would I succumb to these corrosive emotions, or would I accept the humbling truth that I was, in a lot of ways, behind in my heart and personal development. Would I choose to learn from these "flashlights" human beings who unknowingly illuminated my personal gaps?
Embracing the Internal Journey
I chose the latter. I had a few moments to move my heart in a new I decided to move forward, not in competition, but in a spirit of learning from those who were younger, but obiviously more successful than me. This was the turning point: recognizing my internal inadequacies and committing to grow up in my thinking to cultivate the success and freedom I desired.
This decision wasn't a magic fix; it was the beginning of a long and often challenging journey that extended some years beyond me knowing these amazing people.
The Essence of Success Savvy
I began to see a pattern: I was attracting better opportunities, but struggled to hold onto them. The missing piece? Internal consistency. Being "success savvy" isn't just about what you attract or the gifts, talents and skills needed to be a success. It's even more about building a robust foundation within yourself. A foundation you allow to be tested and tried till nothing can destroy it beyond repair.
What flows from the heart dictates our whole life trajectory.
Self-awareness about what is going on in the heart is a golden ticket for cultivating inner success, to stablize and grow outer success. You’ll fail, you’ll mess up, you’ll make wrong decisions even when you thought they were right. But success starts with being successful within your own emotions, overcoming reactive tendencies, and refusing to be controlled by others' opinions or the need to people-please. It’s about not letting external validation dictate your self-worth.
The biggest blessing is knowing that you've genuinely worked for the person you are becoming. It might not seem like a grand accomplishment to others, but conquering internal struggles and learning to stay in the right flow for longer periods of time makes you profoundly successful. As the old saying goes, "As it is within, so it is without."
Listen to the YouTube link i’ve included a tune that I have written called “Order in the Heart a Brand New Start.” It’s upbeat and encouraging of a success that begins within.
Connect With Malia
Comments