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What Constitutes as "Success?" Am I "Successful" by Definition?


In our society, we so often define success as wealth and popularity. Societal norms say we need a degree from a fancy university, followed by a prestigious, six-figure salary career; a perfect marriage with well-behaved children; and expensive tangible items, like a big house and fancy car. If you fall short, you are not allowed to feel settled and are expected to be unhappy.


What is "success" really?" Are these things an adequate definition?


What good is a career if you hate going to the job every day?  Oh, but, your title sounds so important and official.

Is a relationship really ideal if you are only together for convenience? Well, you miss out on things if you are single, and it's just plain lonely.

Did you really want the most expensive car? Of course, it evokes jealously and serves as a status symbol.


Now, I have to ask, isn't it also successful to have a job you enjoy and are very skilled at, even if it's not the best paying?  How many people can say they have ever received compensation for their hobby? What about working a job you hate to provide for your family? Or continuing to work with physical or emotional pain in order to support yourself?

Can't being independent and strong even when you are single be viewed as an accomplishment? And, isn't working on repairing a relationship a triumph over pretending troubles don't exist? What about moving forward as a family in spite of a child who has a problem or two? Doesn't making it through each day in tact indicate great resilience?

Aren't small honors and awards, acquiring new skills as well as exploration of existing talents, well-deserved and planned purchases, personal growth, and continued knowledge all types of achievement? What about being a kind person and altruistically helping others whenever you are able, expecting nothing but maybe that feeling of goodness in return?


The first definition the dictionary gives for success is "the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one's goals." It does not list any specific size requirements of these goals, nor include any formulas for determining which favorable terminations are scalable enough to be considered successful.  One may thus conclude from that standard definition that ANY accomplished goal must be success.

Is there something you wanted to do? Anything you always felt you would do in life? Did you set out on the journey of graduating college or finding a suitable job? Are you married with children like you always thought you would be? What about saving money to buy a special item? Have you crossed anything off of your bucket list, as small and silly as it may seem? Those are all accomplished endeavors according to the dictionary.


Thus, by that definition, I conclude I am very "successful!" And, I firmly believe most of you have also obtained a greater amount of success in life than you are willing to compliment yourselves for.
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