Achieving and coming out a victor are often associated with success. An individual may achieve something but the level of victory is not self-fulfilling. Why is this so? Because people have various definitions of success, thus, one's measure of success may be different from what another individual considers successful. Some would consider money as a measure of success – the more one has, the better the self-image is. Some people think that having a challenging and fulfilling career is what gives them a sense achievement. For some, being in relationships and having a family are what makes them successful. Despite the assortment of characterizations when it comes to what success is, the bottom line is success provides a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and triumph.
I am not much different from others. I also want money and consider that money is one measure of success. However, what makes me different is I do not see money as the "only" measure of success. For me, I equate success with the level of happiness I get out of a situation, an event, or an endeavor. I may have all the money in the world, but if I am not a happy person, it will all boil down to nothing. Although there are individuals who remain poor and yet stay happy, there are still more people who are poor and miserable. While I do want to be rich and successful, I do not see it as the "be-all, end-all" of everything. Of course, I would rather see myself rich and happy rather than poor and miserable. The reason why I equate happiness with success is that when an individual is happy, he or she is more likely to attain success and become richer when the person is happy doing what makes him or her happy. On the other hand, while an unhappy person can be motivated to act on what is keeping him miserable, the outcome could result to an even unhappy outlook in life as the person's motivation becomes rooted on money, instead of money and happiness. In this case, an individual could end up rich and still miserable. Thus, I would rather see myself poor, but happy, rather than rich and yet, miserable (Ravelious 2005).
For me, an example of a successful individual is Oprah Winfrey. Coming from a poor family, a troubled family environment, and was sexually abused as child, Oprah was able to completely turn away from that kind of life. She moved in with her father, studied in Tennessee State University, and soon after, found a job in radio and television broadcasting. Along the way, she hosted several other radio and TV programs until she was able to put up her own Harpo Productions. As she was able to change her life for the better, she was also able to transform the course of other people's lives by putting up a girls' school in South Africa, raising more than $50 million for charity, and helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina, among others. Having money and fame makes her continue to reach out to people who experienced similar hardships as hers. The best part of it all is the fulfillment she gets out of helping others (Bio), which further emphasizes that success is not all about money but happiness as well.
What then are the determiners of success? While others will say education dictates whether someone will lead a successful life or not, other factors also contribute to this, such as hard work, social standing, culture, and values, among others. Bill Gates never finished school and yet is now a billionaire. Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, Walt Disney, Coco Chanel, Ellen DeGeneres, Mark Zuckerberg – all of them come from different backgrounds and educational attainment, but are successful in their own fields. Thus, there is no one determinant of success because it is a combination of all the factors and more. It boils down to one's definition of success, which is unique and totally an individual thing. It also has to do with the individual's outlook in life. Positive thinkers act when confronted with roadblocks, while negative people say "I can't" when faced in the same situation.
I talked to my father regarding success as I consider him one of the most successful persons I know. While he led a comfortable life, he did not rest on his laurels but instead strove hard to finish his studies, find a decent job, and raise a family. He says that money is not his main definition of success, but having a wonderful family life and being in a loving relationship are. According to him, when a man is happy, he strives hard for his family and every sweat turns sweet when he sees his love ones having a comfortable life as well. It was not always a bed of roses because he also had to struggle when the family started getting bigger. He temporarily lost a job once that left him feeling depressed and low. However, these exact feelings were the ones that also pushed him to give more than what is being asked from him at work. Envisioning a comfortable life for his family gave him the strength to work harder and smarter. Now, the way he defines success may seem so simple, and yet, with him I saw how I want my life to turn out to be. The more I see him, the more I realize that we both have the same definition of success, that is, success is based more on the feelings of happiness an event or an achievement brings.
The way I see success is similar to Horatio Alger's beliefs that man, through hard work, can attain success. Furthermore, he believes that success is not based on material wealth alone, but is achievable through hard work, which earns an individual the respect he or she richly deserves. Thus, his views mimic the same sentiments as mine, which places the meaning of success as something that cannot be bought and gives emphasis on the deeper connotations of success.
In this life, I plan to work on success basing my beliefs on what I saw were a working formula for my father and what Alger believes in: hard work and attitude. In fact, I can apply their success formula even while studying until I find a stable job of my own. I will work doubly hard, ensuring that what I am doing is what I really want because everything will be for naught if I work hard, but is miserable inside. To achieve my goal of completing my studies, I will fix my schedule so I can accommodate various tasks and activities that I am currently engaged in. I will weed out unimportant activities and ensure that everything I do now will slowly bring me to the tomorrow that I want for myself. I will improve my relationships with other people because successful people do not hold grudges, instead, they learn from the experience. In times when I meet naysayers and negative people along the path to success, I will turn a deaf ear and focus on my future. With these strategies, I will show them results of my hardship, and therefore, will begin my path to success.
Works Cited
Bio. "Oprah Winfrey." N.d. Web. 5 July 2013. <http://www.biography.com/people/oprah-winfrey-9534419?page=1>.
Ravelious, Kate. "The Recipe for Success: Get Happy and You Will Get Ahead in Life." 2005. Web. 4 July 2013. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2005/dec/19/uknews>.
