Success

Last night I was thinking about what success means to me. When will I feel successful and how will that feel?

The strict dictionary definition of success is as follows:

suc⋅cess [suhk-ses]
–noun
1. the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

"the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors," or having a goal at some level and reaching that goal- whether it be getting a job, passing a class, or simply brushing your teeth.

"the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like," most often money and power or rank.

Often times, definition one is lost on people, with emphasis on definition two, at least in the life I've known. There is a presence of "money equals success" everywhere I look. Moreover, people do not realize how successful they really are because they do not have the money to show for it. A great example of this would be the world of education. Teachers are greatly under-appreciated and definitely under-compensated for their work. However, because a teacher may only make $35,000 a year does not make them unsuccessful- they finished school, many have Master's degrees, and thousands are shaping this nation's future. Successful in my book.

I think that it is important that we decide what success means to us, as individuals. Why? Because "favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors," builds confidence in oneself and can make for a happier life. There is very little that feels better than setting a goal and reaching it. This is where definition two comes into play- what are your goals? What is important to you? Money? Rank? Awards? Love? A strong family?

The time I have spent since graduating from college has been the most difficult time of my life. I was thrown out of a lifestyle full of goals- getting good grades, winning a conference championship, making a tackle, being a leader in the classroom, etc.. Since then, I have struggled to set meaningful goals and I had lost the confidence in myself that was once so familiar. That is not to say I have lived an unhappy or bad life- simply, I have felt lost at times.

During this time my understanding of setting goals has come full circle. Never in my life has the importance of goal setting been so clear. I am beginning to find myself again. Certainly I have changed, but change isn't bad- even if I was totally comfortable and confident in who I was. I need to be flexible and adaptable- or I will become stale and stiff. Without question, however, I must determine what is important to me and hold that true to myself.

I whole-heartily believe that anyone can live a happy life if they use can understand what is important to them and use it as a guide.

So what is important to me? Being a good son, brother, friend, and role model is number one on the list. Of particular importance to me at this time is figuring out a career path. I certainly do not want to be a focus room teacher my whole life. Also, I want to be uncompromising when it comes to my beliefs- stay true to me and what I stand for. That is what is important to me. That is who I am. That is what makes me feel successful.