By Lisa Charleyboy

The desire for success has been a fabric of my being since I was a girl. I was fascinated by fashion, lifestyle, luxury, real estate and all the typical trappings of what success is supposed to be. I still am fascinated on many levels, but my obsession has boiled down to a simmer.

In episode seven of UNGTV ‘Nothing breeds success like … questioning everything’ the definition of success is explored through interviews with Indigenous community members Dr. Evan Adams, Photographer Keesic Douglas, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business CEO J.P. Gladu, Photographer Nadya Kwandibens, Aboriginal Professional Association of Canada Co-Founder Gabrielle Scrimshaw, Native Model Studio Co-Founder Lisa Muswagon, and Professor Pam Palmater.

“Success is having enough to be able to really do what you love to do.”

~ Keesic Douglas

My views on what success is has changed much over the years from a focus on financial success, to living an Instagram-worthy lifestyle, to the freedom of being a creative artist outside of societal expectations. And while all of these incarnations have shaped me, I am still very much constantly redefining what success means to me.

Ultimately, I seek joy and happiness. I want to live that life where I’m surrounded by people I love and that inspire me, while challenging myself with work that feeds my sense of purpose and soul.

“Sometimes you’re not always going to be doing the work that you want to do, but is it on that road to where you want to be, and who you want to become? And if the answer is yes, then good on you. But if the answer is no, and you’re doing something that you don’t want to be doing for too long of a period of time, then something needs to change. And the only one who can ultimately make that decision is you.”

~ Gabrielle Scrimshaw

I’m an experimenter, and I constantly like to try new things and grasp new opportunities to learn and move forward with life. Sometimes those things make sense, and sometimes they just don’t. However, just like Steve Jobs so succinctly states in his Stanford commencement address, it’s all about connecting the dots. I’m always changing, and one of my most successful traits is my ability to evolve and adapt.