Merriam-Webster defines success as “the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame”. I find this definition suits how the world perceives such a sought-after feeling. We look to our idols: musicians, artists, philosophers, writers and athletes. We see people that came from nothing, who put every ounce into what they loved and became truly successful. Yet we look at the modern people that we were surrounded by growing up and we find that we do not see them as successful.
We prescribe the world of success to be defined by material objects. He or she drives a new Mercedes, they have a new beach house or they’re wearing the newest clothes so they must be wealthy. If we are going to attach this perception of success, it pairs best with the common thought of politicians. A common politician is thought of as a fast smile, successful in local or global business, and possessing a stable and happy family. Politicians are true to Merriam-Webster’s translation of success. They are often wealthy, they have earned our respect by our votes, and they are famous to the community they represent.
With all three keys of success you would think that these people have opened the door to Utopia. Yet our media is littered with stories of politics corrupting internally with scandals and sobriety issues, and externally taking hard-earned money from the working class. Don’t get me wrong there are people who represent their country to the highest standard and fight for a better tomorrow. But how can I attach success to people who corrupt themselves and the accomplishments of others?
Another idea of success is doing what you love and finding a way to get paid for it. This idea holds a more true form of success, or at least holds a simpler concept more applicable to the commoner. To lose yourself in a perfect profession that aligns with whom you are as a person. You see this type of success is also a widely covered media topic. Your athletes, musicians, and business owners fit this idea better. They have tales of overcoming great obstacles, coming from nothing, and doing what everyone said they could not.
They go on to achieve great wealth and fame, usually because they picked a passion and put their entirety into it. Even small business owners picked something they loved and turned it into a thriving career. We awe at the top of the billboards, we stop to watch the top ten on Sports Center and we long to be the man that lives out a hobby as a profession. For every musician topping the charts we find three more struggling as street corner artists. For every athlete making millions every time they make a play we know so many more “could-have-beens.” Lastly, for every small business owner that built an over-night empire, we find people on the streets with business degrees and nothing to show for it. So how can we attach success to something only a minority of the population can relate to?
What do we tell the people that had to give up their passions to grow up? How can the working class taste success without the idea of a new Bentley or being a household name? To Merriam-Webster’s translation we simply cannot. I refuse to accept that - for I have seen success. I see success in my father, who has provided us a childhood of comfort and serenity, who tells our entire family that he is most thankful that he has a family he can also call his best friends. I see success in a brother that is striving to be the best coach he can be, along with constructing a family while being a honest, passionate, and hard working man of ethics.
I see success in my middle brother, who has struggled and persevered to earn a forestry degree from the University of Georgia. Yet he will not be defined by a piece of paper but rather by the man that has a heart of purity and an unwavering will to make a positive change. I see success in a mother that sacrifices herself for the benefit of her family and cannot sleep peacefully at night because her heart weighs with the burdens of those she loves and would sacrifice anything for us. I see success in a best friend that faces adversity on a daily basis and still finds a way to have a positive outlook and a relentless effort to achieve whatever path his heart sends him down. I see success in other mentors and family members who have guided me to where I am today. You see success cannot be chained to words; success is simply a matter of perception.
We can be successful if we wake up everyday with something to fight for, no matter the cause. If we have a purpose whether it be providing for a family, being a person of humility and honesty, or even striving to be the best over-looked position in your job. You can be successful. There is no scale to compare yourself. We must realize that when kids are asked who their heroes are, they do not always write down the name of the most famous athlete at the time. They write down names of parents, friends, and teachers. So I dare to say that people that like their job but love their family are successful.
The people barely making rent, but fighting everyday working multiple jobs are successful. As we pass New Year’s and begin to make empty resolutions, strive to make resolutions that make you feel successful. David Brinkley said, “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” Take your bricks and stereotypes then build a life of success that is true to you. Not everyone makes it in this world but we all are a part of making this world what it is and what it will be.
