In this era, it looks like society has created a particular definition of success. Just like it has created a blueprint and requirements that everyone has to fulfil to be called successful. Requirements like following a particular process, going through predictable path, climbing the corporate ladder, accumulating material possessions, acquiring influence, etc. A lot of people chase these things, believing that getting them will make them successful. Yet, there are some people who have gotten these things, only to find out that they are still empty on the inside. True fulfillment and happiness does not necessarily come by doing what the society suggests, nor by playing their game. To live a meaningful life, you have to be courageous to define success by your own terms, and not by what someone else says.
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You will be surprised how a lot of people are caught in the trap of comparison. They want their life to be modelled after someone else, or they want to replicate what they have seen in others. The ironic part of it is that they think they are being inspired or motivated by someone, but they do not know that they are already comparing themselves with them. What they fail to understand is that everyone has a different destiny and a different pathway to get to it. For example, a bird cannot compare with a fish, because it cannot swim. In the same way, a fish cannot fly out of the water and become airborne, because it is not a bird. In life, who you are comparing yourself with has a different purpose to fulfill. Try to discover your own and pursue after it.
To define success in your terms, you need to define your core values. That is, you need to look inwards and know what really matters to you. What is success to someone else may not be success to you. For example, someone may view success in terms of business breakthroughs, or academic excellence, but to someone else, it may be the freedom to travel around the world. For you, it may be about creating impact, influencing the lives of people, and inspiring them to achieve greatness. It is when you have defined your core values that you will know what really matters to you. By pursuing after what matters to you, you will be able to define success in your own terms. You have to understand that success is not a "one-size-fits-all," rather it is personalised adventure. That is, it has to align with your core values, not someone else's core values.
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You also need the courage to separate yourself from the crowd. That everyone is doing something does not mean that it is right for you to do. As a matter of fact, everyone will not even agree with you, but you are not working to impress them, but to become better then you were, and to fulfill your purpose. I have a friend who studied Law in school, yet after graduating, he did not practise for once. I asked him why, but he told me that he did not study it to practise. He went into business of selling clothes and shoes. At the moment, he owns a very big boutique in the neighborhood and doing very well. To him, being a legal practitioner is not the main success for him even though he studied law, but he found fulfillment in business. This is success to him.
Finally, you have to design a contented life. It worthy to know that success is not a fixed destination, rather it is a process, a journey, and a progression. There is a peace of mind that comes with knowing that you are living an authentic life, instead of living in someone else's shadows. Do not live a life that is dictated by a general script. You have to consciously and intentionally define what a successful life looks to you, and then take a step into that arena. This will help you to determine how and where you will channel your energy, time, and resources.
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