Lets define success...

[smileyman]

Check out the video and then chime in as to what you believe is success and what does it take to achieve it?

http://money.cnn.com/?cnn=yes

Back when I was racing I veiwed a successful race not where I finished necessarily, but how far I had come. Racing against more experienced racers on better prepped bikes, sometimes even professionally run teams meant that I had to weigh the chances of finishing and if I had equalled or surpassed my expectations I felt really good whether that was 1st or 5th.

As I got to be a better handicapper of my competition and my own skill I came to a better realization of my "success" or "failure". Finishing 5th in a class i should have podiumed in was a heartbreaker. Finishing in the top ten of a class I was completely outranked was a huge win for me.

So to me I suppose I view success as how far I have come with the opportunities granted to me. Not necessarily how far I have come compared to the rest of the world, my peers, or class mates. Should I be better off with those same opportunities or should I really be worse off for the poor situations that I have found myself in.

And it is not just measured by material scale either. I have grown as a person, nurtured relationships, and made sacrifices that go beyond my clothes, my bike and car, and my home.

What about ya'll??

[Hondahugger]

I didn't get to go as high in my education as I wanted to, sacrifises we sometimes make for our children....... So I've always said that my success will not be measured by the degrees hanging on my wall, but that of my childrens walls.

[CasterTroy]

he makes an interesting point that success can be measured by how well a person uses the GIFTS they are given

I do agree on that...I've been blessed with the gift of parenting. I'm a good father and I enjoy it immensely

I can lose my job, my home and all of my possessions…but to my kids I will always be a success because I’m a good father. In MY eyes I will always be a success because of that.


He speaks of successful people and it makes me think…..many “successful people” are very miserable people. For a SFU example…look at Britney Spears this time last year…she was not the picture of happiness…yet she’s been considered extremely successful

Smileyman I like your example and how personal growth is a great indicator of success. While driving up to your 20 yr class reunion in a Carrera 4 S would let everyone know how financially successful you are….there’s really know way of categorizing ultimate success of any one in particular…it’s a graduated scale based on individuality.

I view every day I don’t get busted for speeding a success…other that that..the rest are opportunities that I’ve done well at, or let beat me temporarily

[cuttle]

Hmmm, lets see... for me, success is:

having a good relationship with SO or friends
having a job you actually like
being able to enjoy life

[Dragonpaco]

to me success is being useful. the more people i am useful to; the more successful i consider myself

[Trip]

Success for me is education. Not just books and school education, but if I learn something that makes me what I consider a better person.

It can come from a class, an error, a humilating experience, a child, a mentor, a stranger, etc... Just something that makes me a little bit wiser is what I consider a successful experience.