Success means different things to different people. For some, success means earning a lot of money, for some success means being famous, for some others it might mean mastering an art or a talent.

No matter what your definition of success, one thing is clear. The road to success is paved with obstacles, thorns, mazes and it will test you at every corner. But when you do make it to the other, you will come out a polished individual, a force to be reckoned with.

If you have even a vague idea about what you want from life, chances are, you are already walking on that road to success. Yes, it might get difficult at times, but if you put your heart into it, you will get there.

I am reminded of the speech Matthew McConaughey delivered when he won the Oscar for best actor in 2014. From that speech, I took away that there are 3 people you need to succeed in life, or at least make the path smoother.

Someone To Look Up To

Just a few days ago, I had written a post about the importance of role models. Having someone in life that you look up to can really change how you go about your own life.

The life of your role model, then, becomes a great influencer on you and the way you tackle the many obstacles in your way to success because you will be inspired by how they did the same.

As I had mentioned in my post, for me it is Steve Jobs. As you will see in the video down below, for Matthew McConaughey, it is god. It can be virtually anyone, as long as you have respect for that someone in your heart and you take it upon yourself to learn from them and their lives and implement it into your life.

Someone To Look Forward To

We all have this quest to become someone and to achieve something in life. But life is not just about this quest. There are people close to you that you really love and who love you too. They form a whole other sphere in your life.

I am talking about your family and friends. Everyday, it is these people, their faces, their smiles and their encouragement that helps you bit by bit to keep moving towards your goal.

It is exactly these people who you want to make proud of you and need the support of to reach that pinnacle of success. These are the people you look forward to every single day of your life because frankly, a success you cannot share, is a success not worth having.

Someone To Chase

Often when we talk about success, we think of this place or thing that is too distant into the future and that can result in you slacking and not performing at your best even though you have the potential.

Having someone to chase, gives you that kick and keeps you on the edge to keep moving forward by creating a sense of urgency. Matthew McConaughey absolutely nails it in this case.

He says that for him, the “someone to chase” or “hero” is himself in 10 years. So no matter how hard he works, he will never be able to catch his future self because he will be 10 years ahead of him. This will keep him chasing every single day of life and that, will lead to newer heights and unparalleled success.

Here is the video and I implore you to watch it: