“For Me, the Formula for Success in Life is to be Needed.” — Fakhraddin Meydanli
The guest of this edition of Fortuna magazine is Fakhraddin Meydanli (Azizov), a financial economist and poet-publicist – a rare personality who bridges two very different worlds. As someone who thinks in numbers, he works with competence and professionalism, while also immersing his soul in poetry and leaving a mark with the magic of words. His philosophy of success – the idea of “being useful” – manifests in both his professional life and his creative pursuits. In this interview, Mr. Fakhraddin sincerely shares his thoughts on success, challenges, inspiration, and wisdom. The essence of his life path is being a whole personality formed through two distinct fields.
– What does success mean to you? Is there a difference between society’s understanding of success and your personal definition?
– For me, success means finding a positive resolution to any issue I’ve set before myself and achieving both my own joy and that of someone in society who needs my help. What’s pleasing is that this is usually the case.
When society speaks of success – if it includes, for example, the great victory of our country, state, and nation during the 44-day Patriotic War – then personal success, alongside such collective triumphs, also includes the kind of achievements I mentioned earlier. In that sense, the difference between personal and societal success becomes evident.
– Who or what has been your greatest source of inspiration in life? How has this inspiration left its mark on your work and creativity?
– What inspires me most in life is, first and foremost, my endless love for life itself. Secondly, it was a highly capable and talented man, the late Vagif Salmanov, who, although a teacher by profession, possessed remarkable all-around skills. He was a close family friend and someone I consider my life mentor. I learned so much from him, and what I learned has always helped me in every area of life (May God rest his soul).
Naturally, this inspiration has left a lasting positive mark on both my career and my creative work.
– What has been the most challenging test you’ve faced on your path to success? How did you overcome it, and what life lesson did it teach you?
– The biggest test I’ve faced on my path to success came from people who envied my unique abilities, approach to life, and solo professional growth without any major outside help. These individuals repeatedly tried to hinder me and even openly confronted me.
I overcame these challenges with competence, tireless and selfless work, a love for my profession, and the fact that no one else knew my job better than I did. I always chose the straight path, cutting through crookedness, and prioritized the interests of the institution I worked for over my own.
Life taught me that there is nothing more powerful than believing in yourself.
– They say wisdom comes with time. In your view, what is essential for someone to become wise – experience, mistakes, or observation?
– In my opinion, since wisdom is a product of the human mind – intelligence – it is, in fact, an innate quality. However, for this trait to evolve and reach a higher level, life experience, understanding of one’s mistakes, observing societal events, and analyzing them to draw accurate conclusions are all essential.
– What core message would you like to share to inspire young people? What advice would you give to someone who is searching for their path but struggling with uncertainty?
– When it comes to inspiring young people, I would first advise them to engage in any kind of work – to work diligently, fulfill the responsibilities of their position, whether high or low, on time and with quality. Love your work, strive to improve in it, consult with more experienced specialists, rely only on yourself and your efforts, avoid arrogance, protect family and national-moral values, and lead a happy life by starting a family and raising children.
To those young people who are still searching for their path and struggling with self-doubt – in other words, those who are having difficulty finding themselves – I would first suggest identifying which area of activity truly interests them. Then, test themselves and their abilities in that field and strive to carve out their own path through tireless self-development.
– When are the moments you feel most inspired? Is it in solitude, in contact with people, or in nature?
– If inspiration is truly in a person’s blood and soul, it is always with you – whether in solitude, in contact with people, in the heart of nature, or even in your sleep. Personally, I can write prose or poetry in a concert hall, a noisy gathering, on public transportation – as long as a certain moment or topic captures me.
The hardest part is writing the first sentence. After that, it flows like a divine revelation. If you don’t write it down in that moment, it’s no longer yours – it’s gone forever…
– If you had the chance to say one sentence to your past self, what would it be? Could that sentence also serve as guidance for readers?
– I’ve always had the chance to speak to my past self, and I hold no criticism toward it. If I had the opportunity to relive those days – with both their rights and wrongs – I would live them just the same, without hesitation. Because a person’s mistake is not truly a mistake – it is what they believed was right at that moment. Just as you cannot apply later reflections to what’s already been done, the next steps you take are inevitably shaped by your past.
In my opinion, these words could also serve as an example to readers.
Dear reader! Never regret what you’ve done. You can’t go back and change it. But being mindful to avoid such mistakes in the future can help ease the moral weight you carry.
– Everyone has a turning point in life – what was the key event that changed and matured you?
– I have tried to address this question in various ways above, but to add:
What has changed and matured me is holding myself accountable at the end of each day, constantly striving to better myself, and not straying from my righteous path no matter what others say or do. I never lost my love for people.
As I expressed in a short verse:
Bu dünya – bir tərəzi,
Heç kimlə yox qərəzi.
Bir gözündə əməlin,
Bir gözündə əvəzi…
– What is your “formula for success”?
– My formula for success is to be useful in life. A person who is not needed has neither presence nor voice in this world.
Some people live a hundred years, yet are forgotten the moment they pass. Others, through a brief life, live on for eternity – like Mikayil Mushfig, Jafar Jabbarly, Asaf Zeynalli, and others like them.
As the great poet Huseyn Javid once said:
“There is a death as valuable as life,
And a life more bitter than death.”
– When did you feel the “Fortune’s smile” in your life?
– In moments when I was useful in some way or carried out a kind and meaningful deed.
⸻
P.S. And finally, I would like to gift my readers a love poem.
Müddətdir, sevgidən yaman qaçırdım,
Sevgidən söz düşsə, uzaqlaşırdım.
Sevgi-məhəbbətlə vidalaşırdım,
Sən sevdin, sevdirdin, özünü mənə.Sevgidən xəbəri olan azdır, az,
Sevginin dəyərini bilən azdır, az.
Sevənin dərdindən ölən azdır, az,
Sən sevdin, sevdirdin, özünü mənə.Mən elə bilirdim, bir də sevmərəm,
Sevgini kimsədə tapa bilmərəm.
Sevsəm də, bəlkə də heç sevilmərəm,
Sən sevdin, sevdirdin, özünü mənə.Sən yatan sevgimi necə oyatdın,
Sevgidən içimdə tufan yaratdın.
Sevgi ilə gözümdə qəfil boy atdın,
Sən sevdin, sevdirdin, özünü mənə.Sevgi kitabından dərs verdin mənə,
Sevməyi öyrətdin sən Fəxrəddinə.
Doğrusu heyranam sənə, sevginə,
Sən sevdin, sevdirdin, özünü mənə.
Author: Saida Musayeva, Editor-in-Chief of Fortuna Magazine
