Defining Success, Part 2. In Part 1, we talked about how I came to some key realizations about the true nature of success.
All and all, I think “success” boils down to three key points:
1. Being able to spend time doing meaningful things.
2. Living adventurously: constantly undertaking interesting and exciting tasks.
3. Being a positive influence on others.
At this point, I think it’s easy to say “isn’t this just a question of semantics? Who cares what you say ‘success is’, especially if it’s so broadly defined in the first place?”
Actually, I think that success is probably best first understood as a broad definition, as opposed to narrowly. Trying to define success in terms of niche interests is meaningless, unless you happen to share that same interest. Would you find my advice helpful if you were a teacher who liked their job, and I told you the best way to be successful was to quit your job and go start a business? And even if you did share that same interest, defining holistic life success purely as success in one category is equally meaningless, and cunningly misleading. Even if you did want to start a business, would you really be naive as to think that starting a business would be the only thing that would–or could–make you feel satisfied? (read more…)
