What is your idea of “success”?

[Chazmatazz269]

That word gets thrown around a lot. It appears to have a fairly narrow intonation. So i can’t help but wonder what most people actually think success means. What does it mean to you, personally? What do you think of when someone says, “That person is successful!”?

[SnowedIn]

As far as "that person is successful" if someone has said that about a third person, I look for context but usually it revolves around money or career and some interlocked level of material accumulation.

When I was younger, I thought that success was wearing a suit to a senior executive/C Suite job like my dad. Money in the bank. A vacation home and maybe a sailboat. I don't know that that's not success, but it also isn't success necessarily either.

In the Navy, success was largely either rank or team achievements/mission accomplishments. In the former, I consider myself to have failed but my wife and friends wonderfully try to convince me that I succeeded/was a success. I kicked ass in the team achievements/mission accomplishments area so I'll run with that.

As far as me in general, success is brutal, double-edged sword. There are things in life I consider myself not successful in: career, financial, status, position, that sort of thing. The part of me that was raised to think that those are important (and I'm not sure whether they are or aren't) sits on my shoulder and fights with me constantly to tell me, "you suck. Look at what you haven't achieved."

But.

There's another part of sitting on the other shoulder. His voice is quieter but more determined. He reminds me that there's a wonderful, beautiful woman who chose to marry me and spend her life making a life with a very flawed me. I have uplifted her and helped her to be her version of successful. I have four amazing children. They have flaws (copies of me). But they are also nice to other people, polite, thoughtful, wicked smart, and they're good citizens. If I died today, my wife and kids would not be ashamed to call me husband/dad.

That's success.

[jamesgoldman]

If I had a place to live big enough to have room for an old land yacht saloon to smoke cigars in, a decent watch on my wrist and not have to worry again then I'd be set for a successfully happy life even with everything else going on

[letuswaltzforthedead]

Completing your goals, so success is technically different per person. If someone completes their goal of having a family and working a regular job that allows them to throw a party every other weekend, they're successful. Other people focus on mastering and becoming experts. Not everyone is ambitious in life.

[Curiosity2006]

TOWERING MONAAAYY BAYBAY!

[MuddyMole]

If you're happy, and you didn't fuck anyone else over to get there.

[TroyDT2]

Having enough passive income so that I can pay all my bills and spend my time doing whatever I want.

[exitseven]

I know what it isn't. I am not sure what it is. Maybe happiness. It seems everyone wants that

[msc545]

peace and contentment

[Chazmatazz269]

For yourself, right?
When people say, “That person is successful!” do you think that person has found “peace and contentment”?

[NerdInDenial]

Having a prestigious career and accolades.