I grew up to be a very inquisitive person. I asked a lot of questions, not to people, but to myself. This was because I grew up not satisfied with a lot of things happening around me, and one of such things was defining success. One thing that bothered me most was the rhetorical question, "why am I here? ", I felt finding out why I was created, and accomplishing it was all that mattered. Even though I know having money and achieving our daily milestones is a big win, I still feel success is tied to something beyond our start point and the process.
From adolescence, we begin to have dreams of things we wish to become, with a detailed process on how to achieve them. Each of these steps achieved toward the goal is checked and we move to the next until we've accomplished the goal then set another. But one thing is striking, that after all people achieve during their youthful age, all they desire in their frail and old age is "peace and joy". The money and the numerous accomplishments no longer matter but a desire to gain peace and happiness. With this realization, I discovered success in life isn't about what we've accumulated in our early and mid stages in life, but the sum total of all we've achieved before we grow old.
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Success is subjective, but then at one point we realize what we have achieved wasn't the peace we truly seek for, and then we go in search for another, and this circle continues. Not because we aren't breaking milestones but that success isn't tied to luxury, success is finding peace in the little things we do. As long as we find peace and joy in whatever we do, that's success, because the sum total of what people desire is to find happiness, but unfortunately, they look for this happiness not in what they do or have but in that which they do not have or do.
Here is the summary of what success is in my perspective;
1.success is finding peace in everything we do or have. and not doing things in order to find peace and joy, because we never become content in finding happiness in things that are abstract.
2.Success isn't assumed in our small daily win, but the sum total of all we do, because what matters most is the testimony we have when we are frail and old.
I like your definition of success, a sum total of everything but does that mean out small wins don't count?
Smile,
The sum total is an accumulation of the little wins. They all count
You have said it all. Finding peace and happiness in whatever we do is the real success bcos no matter what we will always want more . I wish everyone could read this . Really good write up.
Thank You. I'm glad you agree with this