Unlikely Life
/To me, being successful means...
finding meaning in my life and serving others. Also being able to support myself and all of my pets
My definition of success has not changed over time.
Read MoreDe Anza, CA, OR, WA, Truck Fleet Maintenance Manager
/To me, being successful means...
Striving to do the best at whatever I do. Leading a positive example for/and watching my children grow up to be good people.
My definition of success has not changed over time.
Read MoreNot afraid to take risks, Writer Builds Career on Mission and Love
/To me, being successful means...
Living an authentic life where I can be myself, am appreciated for what I can contribute and where I can love and be loved.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I was concerned about how my career would afford me a certain lifestyle, based on how I was raised in affluent Palo Alto. Now I focus on how I can contribute to a mission I care deeply about and work-life balance.
Being my own version of an adult is so much better than high school
/To me, being successful means...
What a question. For some reason I tend to think of my life now by how my kids are doing, my husband, myself and the state of other relationships I have in my life. When all of those things are hitting I feel successful but when they're not I don't. It seems too close-in and too short term for such a global definition but that's how I measure my life day to day. The bigger, grandiose definitions are wonderful and make for good quotes to remind myself of sometimes but I don't think anyone really stays true to them.
My definition of success has changed over time.
In high school it was about grades, sports and college ranking. In college it was grades, social status, job offers. In career it was work reviews, weddings and grad school. As a Mom, it's are my kids happy, having fun and learning. With my husband, right now, it's are we getting along, lol.
UC Berkeley, Speech Pathologist, Writer, Podcaster, Parent
/To me, being successful means...
feeling good about who I am, about others, and about what I do.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Before, I think it meant finding a job I like.
Musician, Teacher, Adventurer, Mother
/To me, being successful means...
A loving family, good friends, good health, financial security, a positive attitude, enjoying life.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Yes and no. I believe these goals were always there, just not articulated in my consciousness earlier in life.
Teaching English. Learning Thai? Riding a motor scooter?!
/To me, being successful means...
Having a life that glorifies God, that shows how He is working in you and through you to help others.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Some things that I first thought would be failures were really part of the path toward a success in helping others.
Singer. Teacher. Student of Life.
/To me, being successful means...
Being able to take care of myself and those I love, and feeling happy with my life.
My definition of success has changed over time.
It's so much broader than I ever could have imagined it growing up.
One of the last
/To me, being successful means...
The hardest to achieve: to be truly happy and satisfied with life. It's so easy to forget what happiness is as you get older, or you remember a happier part of your life but you can't find a way to get back there. It's all about accepting and loving yourself. Once that happens you make others feel the same way about you, and themselves, and everyone's suddenly happy, and the world seems like a better place.
Success to me also means being able to trust and believe in yourself. I remember the first time I took on a project and I didn't feel anxious about how I was going to get it done. I realized that I was good enough at what I do that, even if the answer didn't come to me quickly, I could fall back on my experience to know it would eventually come if I put more effort in to it. Even when I got laid off from jobs in the past I never doubted myself that I had the skills and talent to always find work.
Lastly, success would be raising my 4 children in to adults that are successful in life themselves.
My definition of success has changed over time.
As a teen, my idea of success was to be known as "great" at whatever I chose to do in life. I would be famous and all the kids in school would see me as some kind of hero. Now, I realize who the heroes really are.
Palo Alto Roots Taught Me Values
/To me, being successful means...
Being true to your values. People are much more important than possessions.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I went through a dark period where the acquisition of money and material possessions was most important. In the process, I lost my soul - my spirit. With material things, enough is never enough. I looked inward and realized that my values were being compromised and I was truly unhappy. I returned my focus to an appreciation for people and the earth - I enjoy my days now.
No better major than theatre to prepare for anything
/To me, being successful means...
Like the old Spanish saying goes: "Salud, amor, y dinero… y tiempo para disfrutarlos!" ("Health, love and money… and time to enjoy them!")
My definition of success has not changed over time.
Read MoreI was a band geek who was lucky enough to play sports!
/To me, being successful means...
Setting long term goals and accomplishing those goals, regardless of what they are.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to think the goal was making a million dollars. Then I realized that not everyone can make a social media platform.
Real Life
/To me, being successful means...
Discovering, accepting, and celebrating who I am and my unique potential to influence the world around me.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to have a vague sense of what success was. Never being particularly career or money driven, I always tended to relish the moment and dream of the future. I had pictures in my mind of who I wanted to be as a person, not necessarily what I was doing.
nihilist/anarchist teen becomes chef and dancer becomes academic microbiologist
/To me, being successful means...
Living a happy, vibrant, full life that has a positive impact on the world (even if the impact is tiny, it's still meaningful as long as it's positive).
My definition of success has not changed over time.
I don't think my definition of success has fundamentally changed over time so much as I've gained the worldly knowledge to understand what I always knew to be true.
You're never expecting it when the goal posts shift
/To me, being successful means...
I've come to believe that success is really relative. Some might define success by major financial success, power or name recognition. I think I'm successful. I've got three kids who are doing great, I can feed them and my wife and have money for luxuries like Ice Hockey, concerts, meals out and seeing new movies if we like. I'm not wealthy by any means, but I'm certainly successful compared to a lot of situations.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to feel that being recognized was the definition of success. After all, only those whose name is thrown around are what seemed successful. They were known, they had influence, recognition and power. It always seemed like school and TV said it was so easy, it wasn't. I had to move the goalposts. Success became not being a failure rather than being any verb which implied privilege. When that level of success(close to the dictionary definition) is your bar, all of a sudden its black and white: succeed or fail. So not failing became the yardstick of success.
The Employed Philosophy Major
/To me, being successful means...
having the time and energy to do better today than I did yesterday.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Earlier in my life, my definition of success was tied to my academic and job-related successes. Now I realize that focusing on those external factors was a way to avoid the introspection necessary to define success for myself.
The Gifts of Unexpected Pain & Struggle
/To me, being successful means...
Learning to find joy, love, gratitude, and opportunity no matter what is (or is not) happening in our lives while remaining fully present and compassionate with the reality of our own and others' suffering and the light such darkness can reveal for us to share with others.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I wanted to do something big with my life - and to me that meant being well-known and doing something high profile (like being an astronaut or a famous author). While I still struggle with that old attachment to having my ego-identity validated by as many people as possible, I've come to find the greatest sense of purpose in my life comes from the individual relationships I form and the opportunity I'm given to make a lasting and meaningful difference in the lives of others.
The days last forever, but the years fly by.
/To me, being successful means...
Doing something you love that hopefully makes enough money to pay the bills.
My definition of success has not changed over time.
Read MoreTo love another person is to see the face of G--. (From Les Mis, though I am not religious)
/To me, being successful means...
Feeling that my life has meaning and being truly calm and happy.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Less focused on attainment of specific accomplishment milestones.
Success does not = stress.
/To me, being successful means...
To me, being successful means creating a life in which happiness is achieved. This is specific to each person. For me, it meant creating a life full of loving friends and family. Along with a comfortable job that is both fun and pays the bills.
My definition of success has changed over time.
When I was younger, accolades were much more important in regards to my definition of success. Trophies, degrees, wealth, etc. It wasn't much later until I realized that accolades are just a form of bragging rights. There are plenty of people I know who are happier than I am and don't make nearly as much money or success.
