What is Success?
Success is an answer you’re going to get from darn near everyone you ask, “What is it that you want from life?” I know I’ve personally said it hundreds of times since I was mature enough to think about my future. But what does success actually mean? Is it wealth, status, self-esteem, or happiness? Well I believe the answer is different for all of us with one slight exception. I think we all want to be proud of our lives. Some may place more value on money and status than others but don’t we all just want to look back and say we did something worthwhile?
Many people like me, struggle to pin down what it is exactly they want to do in life. If you are one of these people then let me tell you, it is absolutely, 100% okay. While you may envy your friends who seem like they’ve had their whole lives planned out since they were in middle school, don’t worry, you are not lost. The truth is, some people find their calling at a young age and some people don’t find it until later in life. So what is it that you can focus on in the meantime? You can’t just sit around and not work right? Besides, your purpose in life isn’t going to just magically appear right in front of you. You have to go out and try things.
Trying things and not liking them is perfectly fine. It’s a process we all go through. From the time we’re old enough to do sports or play an instrument we’re always trying things and finding out what we do and don’t like. This doesn’t have to stop when we get older. But success is something we attain by putting forth the effort. Giving something you think is important your full effort makes you feel good right? So figure out what you feel strongly about. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a career path that you’re looking for. Sometimes it’s a hobby or just an interest. For example, I have a friend who worked really hard to get fit. She felt great about it and wanted to help others get fit as well so she joined an online health program that allowed her to reach out to other people and show them how to get healthy. She doesn’t do it because she thinks she’s going to make a fortune off of it, but to her, it feels good knowing she’s helping people live healthier lives. Sometimes it’s even simpler than that scenario. Sometimes people find success just by being a good friend. You can take pride in being someone who is reliable and honest with your friends. Now I know that doesn’t pay the bills but it does say something about who you are as a person.
My point is, find out what makes you feel good about yourself and work on it every day. Get a job that you don’t hate and that you think is worthwhile but make sure you continue to strive towards experiencing new things. And remember, if this story relates to you at all, tell yourself that you HAVE NOT fallen behind in life. You have plenty of time to make yourself proud of who you are. I’ll end with one of my favorite sayings lately: “Be great today.”
