When you picture success, what does it look like?
If you were to identify someone you know who you consider to be very successful, what is it that makes him or her successful in your eyes? A nice house, great job, big paycheck, fancy car, good health, Ivy League education, country club membership, exotic vacations, wonderful family…?
We all define success in our own way, but in our culture, a typical definition involves some combination of wealth, power, and prestige.
Is success really about wealth, power, and prestige?
While my own definition of success is pretty broad, it has always included a certain measure of wealth, power, and prestige. From the time I was a high school student, I wanted to earn a solid education, secure a great job, and do well financially for my family and myself. I am incredibly blessed to have achieved each of those goals during my lifetime.
So, by our cultural definition—and by my own—I guess that makes me successful. But I think there’s something more to the story.
Or is success about something else?
I recently read an article by Jeff Haden, contributing editor for Inc. magazine. In the article, titled “The Only Definition of Success that Matters,” Haden makes the provocative claim that there is only one way to determine success. The key is found in the answer to a particular question:
“Ask yourself if you’re happy. If you are, you’re successful. The happier you are, the more successful you are.” – Jeff Haden
A simple but profound answer.
If you’re happy, you’re successful. As simple as that. What a revolutionary but profoundly truthful concept and statement!
No matter how great the wealth, power, and prestige you have attained, if you’re not happy, are you really successful? You may be successful in the eyes of others, but at the end of the day, the only definition of success that truly matters is your own. And how can you possibly define yourself as successful if you’re miserable in that success?
So maybe an honest definition of your personal success has very little to do with wealth, power, or prestige. Or maybe it does. But either way, I believe that true success is found when you are happy with your achievements, fulfilled by your pursuits, and content in your present circumstances.
Are you successful, or are you happy? I say there isn’t a distinction between the two. If you are happy, you are successful!
Question: How about you? Take a deep look inside. Are you truly happy with your perceived success? If not, what needs to change in your definition of success to make that possible?
Well said Dan. From day to day we get caught up with work, guiding a family and other things that pull us in different directions and sometimes lose sight of that important thought. Losing perspective of our good fortune and using someone else’s yardstick to measure our success is not always a good thing.
Like John Wooden would say – not to be concerned about how other people view you but be very concerned about how you view yourself. You need to be True to yourself and creating your own definition of success such as happiness and self satisfaction are ways to do this.
Thank you for taking time to comment Bill. Excellent comment, and of course I love John Wooden. Would you be interested in writing a brief guest article, using your comments and expanding them a little? I would really like that. We would then publish the article. Please let me know.
Again, thank you for your comment. I couldn’t agree more with you!