What is Success ?

We often wonder the meaning of success and spend hours of reading how to be successful or watching online motivational videos. While they provide some motivation and tips to the path of success , we tend to forget, that is the successful story of ‘someone else”. Can we all fit in to the same model? 

The New York City humor magazine  Puck  published on November 3, 1897:

“The early bird may get the worm, but the early worm gets eaten.”

“Many of our maxims and aphorisms are decidedly contradictory; for instance, the example held on to us of the early bird is somewhat upset by the fact that ‘the early worm gets eaten.”

The main narrative of success is to have a good education, find a lucrative job, build a house, get a car and then create a family. But, more and more millennials are refusing to take that conventional structure proposed by the ancestors and try new paths to success by quitting their corporate jobs to Youtube video making, ditching their partners in search for open relationships, selling their houses and opt to live in camping vans. Then, there is another category, the enlightened ones who believes success is a spiritual journey and meditate to achieve inner peace. 

But, who is more successful ? The one with the 8-5 job? The billionaire on a Luxury Yatch?  The one who lives off traveling the world with no aims and goals for future? Or simply the one who chose the hermetic life?

Yes, you all are successful the day that you stop yourself comparing to the others. Humans in nature want to imitate the other, if we challenge this notion of common model of life style, we would be able to achieve success and eventually Happiness. The originality of the actions in your life  determines your success.

If the accumulation of money gives you the feeling of success, you should not force yourself to be a hermit. We live in a world where "hermit looking people" also live luxurious lives. Therefore, it is not advisable to leave something you actually like. On the other hand, we see backpackers give us the illusion of a joy in a sunrise on a mountain top away from civilization. That achievement of success should be equal to the glory of a promotion in your career path, vice versa.

You don’t have to wake up early to be successful, you don’t have to read all the books to be successful or you don’t have to pass the examinations to be successful. No your bank account is not the ONLY proof of your success. No it's not ONY the prestige of a career or your social status. No, it's not ONLY the healthy relationships you have. No, it's not ONLY the world tour you completed. Success is highly subjective. You are successful to you , not to the rest of the world. You have decided your path, and you wake up happy and go to bed satisfied after completening any activity of your choice. You live your life as per your terms. We can call this success. 

Celebrate life as it comes, do not live someone else’s dream. Choose the activities that make you happy. Repeat those actions. Be unique in your quest for success. One last reminder, be original!

By Jahooli Devi