Success has many different looks
Success, per Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, is defined as a: degree or measure of succeeding b:favorable or desired outcome; also: theattainment of wealth, favor, or eminence. As an enthusiastic word nerd I'm generally happy to defer to dictionary definitions, but I call BS on this one.
Success is different for every person, at least among the kind of people I like to include in my life. For one friend, it's living off the land, if not off the grid. For another, it's watching immigrants become U.S. citizens thanks to his legal assistance. For another (and I don't know how he stays awake through it) it's guiding clients through retirement planning, ensuring they'll continue to be able to do the things most important to them.
Speaking of money, I know a few people whose definition of success revolves around the acquisition and preservation of it. While on paper (and in the paper) they're successful, those individuals are not truly happy. For nine years I spent my professional life getting to know what a person's passions were - what would ultimately motivate them to do something truly extraordinary for the local or global community. Getting answers often involved navigating through family politics, religion, ego, assorted skeletons in the closet, and more. There were plenty of well-rounded people who were amazing...but without going into gruesome detail, the ones motivated exclusively by ducats were miserable.
As a scrappy, up-by-the-bootstraps kind of lass, it could have taken a lifetime to learn what success truly means to me...but I had the good fortune to observe and learn from colorful, dramatic examples. So...what does success look like in my world?
Success is different for every person, at least among the kind of people I like to include in my life. For one friend, it's living off the land, if not off the grid. For another, it's watching immigrants become U.S. citizens thanks to his legal assistance. For another (and I don't know how he stays awake through it) it's guiding clients through retirement planning, ensuring they'll continue to be able to do the things most important to them.
Speaking of money, I know a few people whose definition of success revolves around the acquisition and preservation of it. While on paper (and in the paper) they're successful, those individuals are not truly happy. For nine years I spent my professional life getting to know what a person's passions were - what would ultimately motivate them to do something truly extraordinary for the local or global community. Getting answers often involved navigating through family politics, religion, ego, assorted skeletons in the closet, and more. There were plenty of well-rounded people who were amazing...but without going into gruesome detail, the ones motivated exclusively by ducats were miserable.
As a scrappy, up-by-the-bootstraps kind of lass, it could have taken a lifetime to learn what success truly means to me...but I had the good fortune to observe and learn from colorful, dramatic examples. So...what does success look like in my world?
- Frequent intellectual exploration and creative expression
- Self-sufficiency
- Having the resources to help others
- Doing work I love
- Inspiring others to pursue their passions (responsibly) vs. giving in to mediocrity for money
- Leaving lots of smiles in my wake
- Having time to reflect on life and my role in it
- Knowing when to stop and revel in the right four chords or the most amazing shade of peach
- Appreciating others for who they really are
- Making the world a better place than I found it
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