Palo Alto Roots Taught Me Values

/ Dana Morgan Music/

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.

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A circuitous road to home just up the Peninsula.

/ The Peninsula Creamery/

To me, being successful means...
Finding balance, continuing to work toward your priorities -- keep them in sight; your personal well-being should be one of your priorities; learning to know and respect yourself.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Less focused on titles and resume bullets, more focused on well-being and impact on those around me. 

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Still Searching

/ The Stanford Dish/

To me, being successful means...
Working hard at something you care about, genuinely caring about others and having others genuinely care about you, staying humble and curious, and making my family proud.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I used to think that I would find a dream job and that I would find something that I was the BEST at. I had plans on being the next Mia Hamm, the next Hillary Clinton, or the next Tina Fey. But those people are so so rare and if we're being honest I'm not nearly talented enough in one aspect of my life to be the next revolutionary. I have passions, sure, but I also realize that if I were to become the next big revolutionary there would be a million different wonderful small achievements that would have to come first. Tina devoted her life to comedy, Hilary to politics and activism, and Mia to soccer. And they had a natural talent that they knew was their calling. I don't know mine. Maybe it will come later, but I'm ok waiting. Because there's something so refreshing knowing that I am the one that gets to decide what my calling(s) is/are. I'm only 22, and it's the coolest feeling to know that success is what I make of it. There's no wrong answer. My expectations of myself can often be the most rigorous, but I guess what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

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Living - and redefining - your own dream

/ Palo Alto Children's Theater/

To me, being successful means...
doing work that is meaningful and having a caring family and circle of friends

My definition of success has changed over time. 
My definition of success was to have EVERY element I dreamed of. I now understand there are sacrifices and compromises. There is going to be some suffering along the way, but that doesn't mean you did something wrong.

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Two steps forward, one step back: the imperfect college experience

/ Skyline/

To me, being successful means...
Being emotionally and physically stable while pursuing something you are passionate about.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
In high school I compared myself to my "successful" older siblings who took more AP courses than me while also having friends than me. I didn't know how to define myself outside of the standards others had set for me and was very lost. I tried really hard in everything I did but never felt it was enough. I had a terrible eating disorder which almost took my life and my anxiety was through the roof.

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Academic refugee

/ Baylands/

To me, being successful means...
Being happy with my personal life, having work that I'm genuinely interested in and that is challenging but not too stressful, and being financially comfortable.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I used to mix up success on a specific small goal and success overall--I thought that if I didn't achieve a specific career step I wasn't successful. Now I realize that being successful at each step isn't the same as being successful overall. I'm happier where I ended up in my career than I probably would have been where I thought I wanted to go, just like I'm happier with my husband than I would have been with exes I was devastated to break up with at the time.

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Life does not always follow a certain order of events

/ Mitchell Park/

To me, being successful means...
Being successful means contributing to society, knowing and honoring myself, figuring out how to love/care others (i.e. my family) best, and using my intellect. 

My definition of success has changed over time. 
It has more to do with the satisfaction I draw and my own priorities being sorted out.

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A Circuitous Route

/ It was the tennis courts at Gunn. /

To me, being successful means...
Living a fulfilled, balanced life where I make a difference.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
When I was in high school, I thought I had to do what was expected, in the right order, and on schedule to be successful. Now, thirty-ish years later, I know that the fact that I took a different path (put myself through college, graduated in my early thirties) means that I have a true understanding of what's important. I value that journey.

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