Success

  1. Arash Says:
    July 21st, 2008 at 7:42 pm Hi again Allison,
    There is something I would like to ask every body.
    I don’t think they would respond to me but if you find it appropriate or interesting may be you can ask your fans, and here it is;
    How do you define success in your life?

Amazing question, and one that I constantly look at! I think this is a lovely focus for today’s blog!
Thank you kindly, Arash!

Success? How DO I define it? I used to feel like success was how many people knew and liked me. Then I graduated to success having to do with the amount of money one made for their chosen profession. After that, I morphed into success being recognition for what you have chosen to love and do with you life. And right now, I am somewhere in between the last choice and me just feeling good in my own body.

I mean, if I am gonna be all “heady and enlightened” about it, I would say that success is something that starts within. It is truly loving and embracing yourself. But, if you are looking for my honest answer, I would say that success is living the life I imagined, materialistic goals as well as spiritual and etherial goals.

I have a very specific goal that I am super attached to. Now it feels like if I attain that goal, I will be successful. But within that statement is the inherent assumption that I need something to happen other than what is currently happening to be ok, which ultimately takes me further away from “the moment” and finding peace and solace inside; this is the antithesis of the definition I am striving and struggling to force myself to believe up top!

So there is my belief, honest and hopeful.

What do ya say, Arash?

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  • The Friday Philosopher

    You’re very welcome Taylor. Just to confirm, it certainly was meant as a compliment to you all. I too am drawn to opinionated people, I find there’s nothing worse than a one sided conversation!

    With regards to the not sleeping, I too know what that’s like. I used to have a lot of thoughts run through my head right at the quietest moment of my day. I tried doctors and everything they would prescribe, but for a few months I would get no more than a few hours a night if I were lucky.

    I don’t know if this is the same for you but I started to write down my thoughts every night, now I sleep like a baby!
    Maybe you should try this, see if it will help you!

    Friday

    P.S. Good morning to you also! ;O)

  • Arash

    lol, David you are the best…
    Or sorry allison I meant the second best!

  • Misty G

    The success question…. this is an invaluable question for everyone to truly consider…

    For myself, I have walked through various definitions of success as well. First, there was achieving financial independence, being full fledged on top career girl, then came the success of noble wife and mom. Somewhere in the middle of all these “success roles”, I realized that identity would never be enough to saturate my thirst for “success” or truly fulfillment was the right term. After much searching, over the last several years I have finally come to realize that a life with Jesus Christ is the only thing that offers 100% fulfillment. Don’t get me wrong, there are rich blessings in all of the other roles as well, but life with Christ is the one thing that doesn’t just “feel good”, but it provides the standard that says you must love others, you must help others and ultimately we are blessed beyond imagination when we choose to live this way and “success” is more than we ever thought possible in our own mind! Have a wonderful day all who are out there!!!

  • taylor nikole

    friday,
    Its more thoughts of my year…
    its hard to explain without sounding like a complete sob story
    (well to me… and personally i hate sob stories :( )
    I still have nightmares about some of the things
    my parents have put me through this year…
    and not regular teen/parent drama… if thats what it sounds like
    although i did end up telling my biological father i don’t respect him, that hes only my father by genes, and i flipped him off as he left me at a friends party in tears. (I don’t live with him.. never have)
    and my mother….
    well shes aware of what she did, but she doesn’t remember any of it :-/
    I’m actually aware of the fact that it might be good for me
    to see a therapist (been recomended)
    but then i feel completely crazy…and like i should be able to brush off some of the thoughts and
    pain…
    ive some people this and appparently im not crazy, because its okay to feel this way
    after ‘what ive gone through’ this past year
    bahh… (sympathy makes me feel awkward)
    and like i should be able to brush off some of the thoughts and
    pain…
    I’m way too stubborn for my own well being :-/
    but yes, i have a journal that i carry around and write in whenever
    i think about something.
    I think maybe eventually i’ll grow out of the thoughts…
    or i wont?
    not sure

    but thank you for the advice :D
    (and about one sided conversations… thats why i always love a good debate especially politics… speaking of widely debated subjects)

    <3 taylor nikole

  • Carol UK

    Wow! I miss coming here for a day and suddenly here are all these deep thoughts on such profound topics as success and enlightenment. I think I can only manage to respond to one today as it’s already midnight here in England.
    For me success is defined by contentment – the sort of contentment that is entirely independent of circumstances. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t any other goals to strive for or things that you would like to do etc. but that they don’t really matter in the scheme of things; they aren’t necessary for your peace and happiness.
    I also agree with Taty.
    It’s so great to be made to think like this – somehow I never seem to have these philosophical discussions in ‘real life’! Thanks Allison and Arash – great topic.
    Carol

  • http://wwww.bebo.com/purplefrog08 jonny

    success in my life is acheiving what id hoped for. a life lived to the full.

  • Kate

    Here is a quote about success. I rather like it, although it is just another opinion to add to the mix.
    “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” by Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • http://wwww.bebo.com/purplefrog08 jonny

    oops my computer like hibernated in mid-message but anyway. we all have different opinions of what success is but for most its fulfilling their dreams. some acheive and some dont. but enjoy the ride is what i say. ive been shot like twice but im still here. and ive enjoyed my life and i hope to be around much longer. if not well i have succeeded so yh. if you read this comment and for some reason you wanna talk about my comment or your opinion or if anyone just wants to talk about life then send me an email on kingvegeta08@hotmail.co.uk

    great topic.

    i wont bore you anymore. and if you think i was shot in some chavvy gang then bugger off i was helping people.

    ciao

    jonny.

  • http://travel-pro.blogspot.com TravelPro

    Thanks for this post!

    I’ve recently had many people try to tell me what level my success “should be”, be it money, position in my company, or what business I should be in.

    Fact of the matter is…I’m happy and I enjoy the here and now.

  • Kris

    For me, success is just knowing I left the world a little better than it was a moment, an hour, a day, or a lifetime ago. If I can grant every moment the full attention it deserves and never consider little expressions of care to be a waste of time, I can gauge whether I’m on the right track pretty easily.

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