Success.
How do you measure success? Be it in others or yourself, what are the qualifications to be deemed a success?
Just for fun, google "success". Below are my findings..
suc·cess
1. favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
3. obsolete.
Number One. By far the closest definition to my personal thought on success. Attempt and endeavor what you dream of. Take your goals (if you don't have any then first establish some) and focus them. Focus on attaining those goals and reaching them. What is most important in your life? Often times we evaluate our life choices and goals in time of desperation and difficulty. Try to stay focused regardless of your current circumstance or happiness. Goals are ever changing, some easy, some seemingly impossible. I don't know if I would even classify reaching all of your goals a success. It is more the attempt and dedication to your commitments to yourself and others that dictates success.
Number Two. Bullshit. I mean, in some cases, yes. Wealth, status, and honors can be viewed as successes. But is that all it is to be a success? Hardly.
Number Three. Obsolete? Perhaps.
For many things in life, there are qualifications or criteria that must be met. Whether it is to be accepted into a school or program, get a job, apply for a loan, or live in an apartment. It also extends to aesthetic qualifications- are they attractive enough to date, do I qualify to wear this dress based on how it looks on me?
More importantly, we have to set criteria for ourselves and keep our standards high. These are all by personal definition or interpretation, but in a world that revolves around money, qualifications and credentials, it is hard to not define our success by the amount of money in our wallet, job status, or how nice of a car we drive.
I aim to define my success in different terms-
- Make my own happiness
- Improve other people's happiness
- Work as hard as I can
- Be kind to strangers
- Make others laugh
- Stay in touch with the ones I love
- Strive to be better today than I was yesterday
- Don't sweat the small stuff
- Laugh REALLY hard at least once a day
- Keep my commitments
- Explore
- Stay in good health
- Learn something new as often as possible
Of course, this list is a work in progress, but when I sat down to identify what was most important to me and what would make me feel like a success, I noticed that none of the things on my list had anything to do with the money in my pocket, how nice my car is, or how many designer pieces of clothing are hanging in my closet. Granted, I stress about having enough money to be comfortable in my life, I want a nice car, and I am addicted to beautiful clothes. But if I think about what I would do if I lost those things, I feel indifferent. When I think about never laughing again, never making someone else laugh or smile, not talking to those I love ever again, losing the ability to learn or explore, it devastates me. I can handle losing the things I have become accustomed to and I would rather die than lose the things I take for granted. Funny how that works. Success will be if I fully appreciate, and express my appreciation for all the things and people that I take for granted. I think life is more about making an impact on others - we are all here for a reason. I don't think my reason is to acquire all the beautiful clothes I possibly can...
Don't take anything for granted, search for your happiness, and cherish the things you tend to take for granted. Don't look in the mirror and feel disappointed in what you see- those things are all fleeting and editable. Look inside yourself and your mind, that is the reflection that matters. Focus on it, and success will follow.
