What is success?

I have been set a challenge by a fellow Seven Sisters alum to define success.  Since I've never thought of myself as particularly successful, I thought I might have a think about what the word means to me.  

Success for me has always been linked to external approval, a label put on you by society.  It is the way society judges where you are in the hierarchy of deservedness (I know it’s not a word).  As the saying goes, “whoever dies with the most toys wins”.  So for me, it’s about material, visible accomplishments.  As someone who retired from an almost career 21 years ago, it never seemed to have much to do with me. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I haven’t just been taking up space all this time.  I have had a full and wonderful 21 years crammed with ups and downs and much living.  I have been the stay at home mom with two kids while my husband pursued my definition of success.  We did country moves, house moves, school moves, you name it, we’ve moved it.  Did I miss working and the external validation?  Not really.  I felt I was doing what I needed and wanted to do.  I’m not going to tell you it was a walk in the park, trying to guide a child into becoming a responsible human being is not easy.  Especially, when you realise fairly early on that they have minds of their own and they may do what you want them to do, but they’re going to think what they want to think.  I have been really lucky to be blessed with two wonderful kids who are sane and sensible with just the right amount of crazy to let me know they’re normal.  I am also lucky to have a very supportive husband who has recently redefined his concept of success and is much happier for it. 

Now that I am at a point where my kids require emotional time, not physical time so much, I am pursuing my own interests.  Who knows, in time I may achieve what society deems success.  But I may be too busy living life to notice.


You can read Kim's view here.  She is the originator of the Success Challenge.  Why don't you have a go?