Money does not define success. I think this is very hard for our generation to understand because we have all been told to go to a college and find a career that will make you money. By doing this, you are then considered successful. This is the mindset that our generation has, that money defines you.
But is money all that really matters? What about the people who have money and lives that are riddled with sin and controversy? For example, a man is cheating on his wife. He is a successful businessman who ends up divorcing his wife to be with another woman. He leaves his wife with half of his money and continues his successful life with his new woman. He is still considered successful, though, right?
Well, he still makes good money, so why wouldn’t he be considered successful? He didn’t have a successful marriage, but he can make up for that because he still makes good money. I feel that people use money as an excuse or privilege. They think they can do no wrong in the eyes of others if they have a large amount of money to throw around and cover up their mistakes.
Someone could be the rudest, meanest, most arrogant person, but because they have money, people envy them. People then think, well, if I want to be successful then I need to live that way. It is just one vicious cycle after another, a cycle that needs to be broken.
So how should we measure success if it cannot be measured in dollars? I believe it should be the amount of effort put forth to better not only your own position in life, but also the position of humans as a whole society. Does our future only consist of war-torn countries and a huge gap between the rich and the poor? Or can we work hard for a future that is not full of greed?
People should be proud of the small accomplishments in life. Proud of the decisions they are making towards a positive future. People need to realize they cannot just step over people and knock them down with the money they have. To me, it is not about the amount of money in your bank account, but the positive attributes that you bring to your community, your family and your peers.
For the future, for our future, do not measure your success in dollars. Measure your success in the good deeds you do, the amount of hard work you put forth, the health of your body and the positive contributions you bring to society. We are the future, so let's put an end to defining success by the amount of money you make. There are far more important things to measure than the amount of money in your bank account, because that does not define you.
