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Arianna Huffington: "The Difference Between Success and Failure Is Simple Perseverance"

May 27 2018 - 9:30am

If you're a fan of either the internet or sleep, then you're most likely familiar with Arianna Huffington. Named one of the most influential women in media [1] and one of the most powerful women in the world [2], the boss lady is responsible for the Huffington Post media empire and, more recently, has been leading a sleep revolution [3] along with her latest venture, Thrive Global. [4] She is also one of the nicest women I've ever met!

In her book of the same name, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder [5], Huffington lays out how to rethink our modern-day definition of "success" so it's less about struggle and sacrifice and more about, well, thriving. Pick up a copy of Thrive [6] or The Sleep Revolution [7] so you or your favorite career gal [8] can start any day off right!

Power Your Happy Q&A

What advice would you give your 22-year-old self?
I would tell my 22-year-old self not to buy into the delusion that the necessary price to become successful is burnout and exhaustion. I'd tell my younger self that she'd be more successful, happier, and more fulfilled if she committed to unplugging and recharging just as much as she did to working hard.
What talent or passion have you been able to use in your career in an unexpected way?
I have a passion for traveling. When I was a girl in Athens, I happened to see a photo of Cambridge University in a magazine and told my mother I wanted to go there (she was the only one who didn't laugh at me and sold everything she had to give me an education). That passion has continued to serve me well, bringing me to the United States after living in London in my 20s.
And still today, as I travel more than I ever have, it's allowed me to work on behalf of The Huffington Post and now Thrive Global and still find joy in what for many would just be dreary business travel. Part of that is because I'm very deliberate about prioritizing sleep while traveling.
What is the one thing that influenced your career today? When was the moment when you realized you were on the right path?

I would say it's a lesson I learned from my mother about failure — that it's not the opposite of success, it's a stepping stone. And I've had a lot of stepping stones. But they're much easier to persevere through and learn from when you think of it like that.

For example, my second book was rejected by 36 publishers, which was one of the low points of my life. By about rejection 25, you would have thought I might have said, "Hey, you know, there's something wrong here. Maybe I should be looking at a different career." But, being my mother's daughter, I remember one day, depressed and running out of money, I was walking down St. James's Street in London when I saw a Barclays Bank. I had an idea. I asked to speak to the manager and asked him for a loan. Even though I didn't have any assets, the banker actually gave me a loan. It changed my life, because it meant I could keep things together for another 13 rejections — and finally, an acceptance. Very often, the difference between success and failure is just simple perseverance.

What does "finding your happy" mean to you? Do you feel you've "found it"?

I have a few different versions of happy. One common to pretty much every parent is simply connecting with my daughters — hanging out with them, talking to them, and, most of all, knowing they're safe and happy.

Another would be when I feel connected with myself — when I'm well-rested and recharged. It's in periods like that when I have my best ideas, I can think through problems, and I don't react in a stressed-out or emotional way to daily challenges and setbacks. So in that way, it's not necessarily about finding a thing or experiencing a special moment, but staying in it.

Guilty pleasure?
A large decaf soy milk cappuccino with one shot of espresso.
Happy place?
My bed, on the weekend, lazily reading The New York Times.
Heels or flats?
Flats!
The one thing you can't leave home without?
My phone, of course. Though that's boring (and life would be so much more vivid for all of us if we all left them at home more often). On longer trips — my favorite neck pillow.
Favorite healthy food?
Salt-free almonds.
Favorite workout?
Hiking.
Feel-good music/song/artist?
Lyle Lovett.
Favorite thing about your appearance?
I like being tall — I didn't always, but I've grown into my height!
First thing you do when you wake up?
Meditate.
Last thing you do before going to bed?
Take my phone out of my bedroom.

Source URL
https://www.popsugar.com/money/What-Thrive-Arianna-Huffington-42848270