How do you define success?

Living long enough to spit on the graves of those oily bastards who spent their time trying to tear you down. We're all gonna die soon enough, and there's only two ways to measure a life: by length and by experience. The first is determined by earthly revolutions and nothing else, and in the second each person can only be his own judge. So who cares what other people think? As you lay dying, you're the only person who will be deciding if your life was good or bad. Screw the world and do what you want. All that you need to live will come to you in the ether, in some way or another. Reply to this

I absolutely love this question!

In life seek happiness. Life is short and you need to make the most of it.


First I would like to state that I agree with the philosopher Dag.
You are the only one who can answer this question as it is individual for all of us.
Experiences enrich your life.

I'm in the over 50 crowd (although not but much) and have a lot to say about success and how to measure it. I was raised to grow up, work hard, save for retirement and "be successful". In my family success was measure by money and position or power. I did all those things and have been successful in my career. For the most part I have enjoyed my chosen path and have been content if not happy the majority of the time. However, with that said---in my career I've had times when I wondered "is this all there is." When you are building a career there are times when it is not as fulfilling as others. (personal opinion)..... my belief is that is why they call it work and not vacation.

Years ago I told my husband that my goal was to take a year off and travel the world before I was 50.... he laughed--- but I set the goal, began to save and that is exactly what we did. It was a magnificent experience. I cannot explain the way it has enriched and changed our lives.
But it has also made us restless and we are no longer as content doing what we were doing before our travels. The flip side to that is that we earn enough money to travel to exotic lands (when we can get off work) Looking around at friends who have lost their homes, lost their jobs, lost their savings --- I am grateful to be in my chosen field because it provides stability.

I think it is good that you have had an opportunity to compare yourself to friends----- I believe that reflection and self evaluation is vital. You may come to a cross roads when "you" want to do something different. Only you will know. Just because you take one path does not mean you need to stay on that path your entire life.

I have re-invented myself several times and it keeps me fresh.

For me, I needed financial stability and I have that......and now it allows me to travel. I personally didn't want to end up 80 years old and not have a roof over my head.

We took the trip around the world because I didn't want to be 80 years old and ask why I spent my entire life focused on my career and didn't do some travel. I did not want to have regrets.

I agree that success needs to be defined by you and not society. I found my balance and I'm certain you can find yours.


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I'm hardly a philosopher!! 😊 Just someone who's been through that himself. It took a lotta years before I finally realized that someone else's problem with how I live my life is someone else's problem, not mine. Reply to this

I do agree with a lot what others already said ;-)

Success is a measurement of your happiness and fulfilment not only a career level or wealthy bank account otherwise people who do what they love and don't get paid very well would be losers and they are clearly not!!!! there is a lot of people considered very successful because of their status but they have no time, love or fiends to share this status with ;-) I admire everybody who goes against what the 'system' tells them to find their own happiness and fulfilment;-)
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To me success is getting what I want without having to sacrifice my integrity. If obtaining something means doing something unworthy of a man then the price would have been too high. Reply to this

In response to: Msg #144391

Absolutely! Well said Andrea Reply to this

In light of the death of Steve Jobs, I would like to share some very inspiring words he delivered at Stanford's 2005 commencement activity.

His words all ring true.

You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for work, as it is for your lovers. Your work is gonna fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking and don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking. Don't settle.

You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your Heart and Intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

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Enlightening and visionary indeed, however, I don't think that the Chinese workers in Apple's Chinese sweatshops would see things in quite the same way. While Steve Jobs may well have followed his dream and be defined today as one of the world's most successful businessmen, succeeding off of the backs of those who are less fortunate, many being driven to suicide because of the demands of having to live and work in such places, leaves a rather bad taste in ones mouth.

I find myself to be absolutely astonished by the way some people have reacted to his death, you would have thought that he had found the cure for cancer or another debilitating disease. While in his earlier years, he was undoubtedly a pivotal figure in bringing computing to the masses, towards the end it seems that Steve Jobs's only dream was to keep his loyal flock of iSheeple supplied with the latest, overpriced 'must have' gadgets.

He may have been an inspiration to many, but words come cheap. Unless you go through life treating others, no matter who they are, with the respect they deserve, then I really don't think that you can say that you have succeeded at all.
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In response to: Msg #139247

I guess youre friend is right, those are societies definitions of success. But everyone has different needs and wants so my definition is if you want something, you work hard and achieve it, then you are successful. That might be to own a rum shack on the beach, to be a high flying corporate lawyer or to be a stay at home mum and raise 10 children... i'm sure none of those people think the other is successful but if thats what they want to do and they are happy doing it...its all good 😊 So i do hope the very same for you 😊)) Reply to this

Steve Jobs key to success:

1) Greed is good
2) Don't give to charity
3) Be Vindictive and ruthless (fire all the employees who p*ssed you off and use slave labor )
4) Don't acknowledge the existence of your love child so you don't have to pay child support
5) Steal others ideas and take credit for it
6) Screw your friends

Four words that best describe Steve Jobs - World Class VISIONARY a$$#0!e

I can't understand why so many people look up to this guy.

Ok, he designed cool gadgets ... so ?

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