Defining Success: It's Personal and Unique to Everyone

The definition of success can only be defined by the person defining it. The word success can be taken in several ways. Most learn at a young age that a people have to work hard if they want to be successful, and they spend a big portion of their life striving to become successful. Marketers make people believe that having heaps of money, living in a giant house, driving a 2014 Mercedes Benz, having brand name clothes and the latest technology is what a successful person looks like.

For the average person, this is not often the case. Today’s economy and job market makes it difficult for someone without a college education to get a high paying job, and most people cannot afford college. To some success is measured by the amount of money they have; and to others success is measured by the amount of happiness or knowledge they have. My definition of success is someone attaining something that they want.

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In today’s world, people believe that if one has lots of money and fine luxuries that they are a successful person. In many ways, that is true. Money can make one’s life easier and more comfortable by paying for people to do things for them such as maids or an electrician when something breaks instead of doing it on their own.

People work through several years of college to get a good high paying job, and having loads of money can be all one needs to feel successful.

Money can buy any material item in this world and having nice new things can also make someone feel successful. It may make someone feel successful when they drive down the street in a brand new vehicle or talk on the latest smart phone. Money plays a huge part in a person’s success and happiness, but people do not often think of other options that can make them feel successful. Though money can buy amenities and comforts, one needs much more than lavishing luxuries to live a successful, well-balanced life. Money can make life easier, but it does not necessarily make it perfect. For a person to live a wonderful life, they need to live there life by good morals and virtues that cannot be bought.

For example, money cannot make one knowledgeable or prudent; that can only be attained through hard work and dedicated study. Money cannot build a healthy a relationship with husband or wife; that can only be attained with love, trust, and honesty. The richest person in the world cannot buy respect or consideration; that can only be attained by a good up-bringing and feeling a strong concern for the feelings of others. Money cannot buy kindness or patience. Some may feel that living by all these virtues can actually make a person feel more successful than having endless amounts of money. A quote that helped me understand much more of what can make a person feel successful is one spoken by Ralph Waldo Emerson that states; “To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of people To learn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

People are too often distracted by money. Someone with lots of money can often feel more powerful and better than others and act stuck-up, conceited or pretentious. People with those characteristic don’t often have many friends, and usually feel very unhappy on the inside. If someone is not happy, how can they be successful? There are hard ways to become successful and there are easy ways. A person striving for success must first figure out what they want most importantly and go for it. If being wealthy is what makes a person feel successful, become wealthy but don’t forget to model patience, kindness, respect, love, honesty and many more. Success is simply what you make it.