What is success?

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by samsimx, Dec 15, 2013.

  1. Recently at my high school I had a meeting with my guidance counselor and we discussed college, my grade, sports in college and everything that I would have to do to prepare for SATs and other standardized tests to "succeed".

    At the beginning of the meeting he asked me what I thought the definition of success was. I couldn't give him a response that he liked, I said things like being well off financially, doing well in something, but I couldn't answer it. He then asked me what do I want to succeed in, I gave him a generic answer and said life.

    We talked a little more about the subject and then I had to return to class, but it made me think. Over the past few days I finally know what I actually want to succeed in. I want to succeed in life, but as an individual. I want to help others and not worry about what kind of car I am driving or how much money I have in my wallet, I want to be happy and do something I love.

    I want to know what other people's definition of success is, and how they want to succeed. This is a more serious post of mine so please keep your posts on the serious side.
    supereskimo, wisepsn, Olaf_C and 2 others like this.
  2. Success is waking up in the morning and being happy with what you are doing that day, with what you have and with who you are close with.
    samsimx likes this.
  3. Success is doing the things that you want to do, and trying the things that you want to. Achieving things that are set as a default to every kid growing up, like getting grades, getting a job, they're all superficial. Practically brainwashed into us. Success is knowing what we want, and at minimal, attempting to get there.
    samsimx and Ark_Warrior1 like this.
  4. Happiness. Whether it is the individual's happiness or someone else's, happiness is success.
  5. Back in the early 2000's my family and I were filthy rich. We had a Mercedes S-Class as a spare car and had money coming out of our ears. Sadly, my father and mother were miserable. He hated his job and my mother hated where we lived. After the economy crash of 2008 we moved to colorado. Now, we drive a 2007 minivan that is on its last legs, live in a still nice but much smaller home, but our whole family has never been happier. Success is now about having a bmw in your driveway or having the Jones's try to keep up with you, it is enjoying what you do.
    samsimx likes this.
  6. Success is the trap on the road to happiness
  7. If you can look back on your life with few regrets, and many memories that make you smile. You have found success.
    Ark_Warrior1 and jkjkjk182 like this.
  8. Success is not doing what you want, but what you should in fact do to 'better' yourself.

    For instance, right now success would be me sitting down and completing these reports in time for Wednesday, instead the 'Really Cool Waterslides' otherwise known as the internet/minecraft, keep calling to me and drawing me down a path of which I know I should not take.
  9. NO. If you are successful than you wll nor be happy if you are pool and you are happy than you don't have to be successful but you are happy and That is the key
    Ark_Warrior1 likes this.
  10. Then what is success? Calling it a trap means nothing, it is just a way of wording it so that you can hide your real opinion of it. If you truly think it is a trap though, exactly how is it a trap?
    Ark_Warrior1 likes this.
  11. Everyone has a different part to play - some people may choose more academic paths, while some may be happy with a simple manual labor job and a family.
    "Success" is just the part of happiness dealing with doing your best, based on your unique abilities.
    Personal happiness can be found and cultivated no matter what your career path, but you'll still have the desire to accomplish something and to help others. Just try to find the right balance between doing work, interacting with others, and enjoying life. It's a different mix for everyone :)
    Jelle68 and samsimx like this.
  12. Success is when you can make some one's day. Say someone in town chat needs this and this and you happen to have some for them, making them happy and knowing you helped someone in a time of need. This could also be brought over to real life...
    Palmsugar likes this.
  13. You want a career so you can provide for your family with the basic necessities.

    The ideal job doesn't kill you. Stress is very real and IMO the leading cause of most illnesses.

    The ideal job doesn't make you miserable and leaves you time for the more important things in life. Like playing minecraft.

    Happiness comes from your family. Hopefully you choose a spouse with brains. Two heads are better than one.
  14. I agree with pretty much all of you and success is you being happy with yourself and your life. Stressful jobs/businesses usually get a lot of material benefits but no real joy and happiness for very long. My family run 3 businesses at once 1 of them doing very well but this has come between them and they have recently split up basically because of the stress and stress also physically effects people, it is proven to cause pain in many ways.
    But hopefully soon everything will be better and a lot less stressful.
    I would like to finish by saying as I said at the start success is about being happy with yourself and being happy with your general situation.