“Having a lot of money,” “being respected and honored,” “being the best in my field,” and so on. We all have our own definitions of success, but is that really all that matters?
My parents used to tell me that being in the top five in my class was success; however, when I got to high school, success became being popular and being elected to the committees of the most popular school clubs.
At universities, success was defined solely by attendance. Well, I may be exaggerating, but because people preferred to avoid class, if you went, you were pretty much guaranteed a “bright future,” according to one of my lecturers.
But now I feel like there’s another version of success that’s underrated and underappreciated, a small detail that often goes unnoticed.
I recently had a conversation with a friend who is one of those people who tells you things that you will never forget for the rest of your life.
We were talking about various issues in our lives and how to deal with them; of course, this is when we look at our careers and what we have been doing and what we have planned for the future.
You know those times when you feel like you’re not going where you want to go, you’re not where you want to be, and time is running out?
Your anxiety has caused a knot in your stomach. Your mind is constantly telling you that you haven’t landed, that you haven’t become ‘that’ person you wanted to be since you were a child, that you haven’t made that much money.
What you must remember is to include the yet! You must remember that you are not yet all done! You must remember that success is defined by the small milestones you achieve along the way, not by the finish line.
Many people believe that passing the ribbon is the definition of success, which is why many people feel like they have failed in life before they have even begun.
However, we should approach things with patience. Success does not come from simply being present; rather, it comes from accumulating small victories along life’s journey.
You must identify what truly matters to you and what truly contributes to your purpose; success is more than accumulating a large sum of money [which may be a benefit], it is more than being popular or famous.
In addition, I’ve discovered that success, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder.
Your definition of success will differ from other people’s personal goals, but you must remember that you are on different paths.
The bottom line is that success means something different to each of us. Success is learning to speak another language in your thirties or finally deciding to start working out.
It is when you land a great job and manage to maintain long-term relationships. It is when you manage to remain cheerful in difficult circumstances. It is when you are able to remove toxic people from your life.
Success is defined by our personal goals and what we want to accomplish in life. Finally, it is about progress, overcoming obstacles, learning, and content.
If I had to define success, it would be knowing where you are going, achieving small victories, being resilient, relentless, and most importantly, having a purpose and and striving to complete it.
What does success mean to you?
