August 3, 2006
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New Topic from Featured_Grownups:
AUGUST 2006 TOPIC
suc·cess ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sk-ss)
n.
The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted: attributed their success in business to hard work.
The gaining of fame or prosperity: an artist spoiled by success.
The extent of such gain.
One that is successful: The plan was a success.
Obsolete. A result or an outcome.
This is the dictionary’s definition of SUCCESS…what’s yours?
- How does it feel
- Taste
- Smell
SUCCESS means something different and personal to each of us and in different facets of our lives as well — tell us about your success!
My definition of success has changed many times over the years. When I was a child, it meant getting an education so that I could get a well-paying job and have all the luxuries we always wanted. We did ok, actually very well – upper middle class – but I saw those rich kids that had everything they wanted. You know, they lived in huge houses, with maids and servants; they received new cars on their sixteenth birthday…yadda yadda yadda.
As an adolescent, success meant changing my life and getting back on track. It meant getting out of rehab, and sticking with my new life direction. It meant graduating High School early, and going to college. It meant finding ways to have fun that didn’t involve mind or mood altering substances. It meant standing up for me. It meant being honest, and letting myself feel my feelings, rather than stuff them. It meant learning how to live life, on life’s terms.
As an adult however, my definition of success changes all the time. Success is when my children demonstrate their ability to think for themselves and make thoughtful choices. Success is when my husband and I celebrate our 20th Anniversary with a second honeymoon because we are still madly in love and still best friends. Success is having friends all over the world. It’s making my parents proud and at the same time taking care of them a little.
The driving force behind my adult life however, is the image of success that began to develop as a child. My dad worked many, many years to provide well for his family. He was “successful” in his job, and worked hard. He had many promotions, awards, and prizes for success. Everyday he got up and went to work. Everyday he hated it. He hated what he did for a living, but he had a family, responsibilities and a lack of education that prevented him from getting out and doing something else.
My mom worked for years as a receptionist. She was a great receptionist. Everybody loved her, offered to employ her if she ever needed it, the bosses relied on her. Everyday she got up, dressed for success, and went to work with a smile on her face. And every day she hated it. Like my dad, she was limited by her training, education and her daily responsibilities.
I’ve done a variety of jobs; from fast food to counseling. I’ve pumped gas, and ran a cash register. I’ve sold stereos and worked with the severely mentally ill. I’ve washed cars, stocked shelves and thrown papers. All these I’ve done for a variety reasons, usually for necessity. I’ve enjoyed some, and hated others. My goal was to find what I really wanted to be when I grew up, and then get the education or training that I needed to do that job. Now I teach. I love teaching. I love learning and I love learning about teaching. I love being around children, lighting the fire, fanning the flame and making learning fun.
I want the same for my girls and my husband. I want their “job” to be something they love to do. I encourage them to experiment and find their passion. And then figure out how to make a living doing it. For example, Squirt loves horses and horseback riding. We have talked about a wide variety of ways that she can be on horseback and get paid.
Finding my passion and letting it guide me is success.
Now, for me, success feels like a job that I love.
It tastes like freedom from drudgery.
It smells sweet and peaceful.
And it looks like a smile on my face, and on the faces of my family.
Please go by Featured_Grownups and visit the other great responses. And let me know…. What is success to YOU???
Comments (35)
Success smells good. Because according to the dictionary’s definition, I’ve succeeded in what I set out to achieve once I’ve taken a shower. I’m clean! And it smells good.
*haha* Yes, I’ve been blocked from someone’s page before.
How true, that our definition of success changes as our goals change, and we “mature”.
Thanks for stopping by, reading, and commenting. I appreciate it!
Take care,
~Rogue
you hit the nail on the head
Great post; thank you for stopping by my site; have a great day; Smile
You are linked! Thank you for the wonderful contribution
Oh you are right, we do sound like we have a bit in common.
Thank you for posting, and for dropping by. I have been trying to make it to all the featured grownup sites, but am getting oh so sleepy. :sleepy: :sleepy: :sleepy: :sleepy: :sleepy: :sleepy: :sleepy: :sleepy:
Hugs, Tricia
after reading all of these success posts… i’ve found a common theme… happieness.
ryc: thanks for stopping by.
That’s fantastic!! :love: :love:
great post!!!
It’s great you’ve found your passion in work…mine is in shopping…but I don’t think I can get paid for that!
You are so right that your definition of success changes as your life changes. Good post. RYC: I am pretty sure my mom made that second one up!
I love your definition of success. I, too, am a teacher and go back to work on Monday, kids arrive on Thursday. I’m excited to meet my new group of kinderkids! It’s always a challenge and a joy!
That is what I hope to find in being a stay at home mom…the place I belong in life. THough, for the moment, I’m very happy with what I already have!
I love this post! Success and happiness do seem to go arm in arm. My opinion of success also changed with age, and I have finally concluded (at the ripe age of 46) that success is when you know your doing what you were born to do…and your giving it your all. Wether it’s marriage, parenting, your vocation or job, your faith, whatever…do your best and count yourself a success.
I would say I am a successful wife, mother, teacher, housekeeper, seamstress, and I love my life!
Loved this post! Thanks for sharing
Wonderfully written. Thank you for sharing!
Great post. I need to think about mine and what I want to write. Enjoy your day.
Congratulations on achieving success and recognizing it! Good post!
Wow! What an extremely well written and well thought out post! It is so interesting to see how our definition of success changes over the years and sad to see how some people are grasping at something that they see as success and missing all that is important in life. I’m glad you know what is REALLY success!
Have a great weekend!
Great post. :goodjob:
Excellent post! It’s true that our definition of success changes as we do throughout life. For most of us anyhow. I very much agree with your definition of success. It is so important, to me anyway, to be able to do a job you love, to have a job you want to get up and go to everyday. that is my goal and to me it would also be a form of success. I loved that you used the word drudgery. That’s right on. I’ve had a large variety of jobs too because I simply couldnt stay long at a job I dreaded. I’d rather just move on to something else. I guess that’s kind of irresponsible of me but I couldnt help it. Some days I would go into work and feel physically ill and so restless like I just absolutely could not make it through one more day. I think it’s great that you encourage your children to find what it is they are passionate about. It will bring them happiness and success much quicker.
I very much ejoyed reading your entry. Congrats on your successes! :wave:
Dear Nunya,
Thanks for dropping by my blog and commenting on my Success entry. I see I haven’t commented on yours yet. One of the topics I had on the Internet Island blogring was whether you are what you do. You should always do what you love, and then it shouldn’t matter.
I won’t discount my own past when it comes to “mood altering substances”. It used to be “See if Mikey likes it”, and when I did, we all imbibed. But I could always “put them down” and I know quite a few friends who couldn’t so I never condone them. Congratulations on your success in the past, and your current successes.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
Very well written. Yes success comes in many forms. We just need to decide what that looks like. I choose to look at what the word of God says what success is. Because my idea has not always been good.
“Finding my passion and letting it guide me.” YES! :coolman:
May grace & peace be yours!
Steve :spinning:
wow you’re such a nerd. lol just kidding, and yeah, it’s your job to screw my life up and it’s my job to bitch about it. it all works out, eh? nice post. ferry happy-feel-good. awesome:coolman:
excellent post..it made me think……
Success — and the perceptions of it — change(s) almost daily. As it should Nice job.:goodjob:
My own entry on “Success” will be published in Tuesday’s blog, Sunday being reserved for the second installment in my series on the Charter of the Global Greens. You don’t have to wait till Tuesday to pay me a visit!
It’s a great answer. To be able to do something for a living that you’re passionate about is a solid measure of success. Passing that spirit along to your children — and having a wonderful 20-year marriage — would make you especially successful.
Excellent perspective. Definitely, success is always changing through our lives and can change from day to day.
I really enjoyed your “success” post. You’re right, goals and attitudes about life change as we get older, especially when we have children. I feel the same way about my parents and their jobs. They did jobs they didn’t really like and enjoy because they had a family to support. Sometimes I wonder about whether or not they could have tried to change things and find something else to do. I find that many people get into ruts and just keep doing the same thing because it’s safe and comfortable. Change is hard. I try in my life to accept and embrace change as a new opportunity to achieve something terrific.
Excellent post; heartwarming piece that goes well with warm panacakes. Thanks for sharing.
:goodjob:Great job well done so now go smile more…..thanks for sharing with us:sunny:
It is ever changing, isn’t it? I’ve learned that with my writing career. Just reaching forward to new goals.
I can relate to so much of what you’ve written here. I agree, success is having passion for what we do. I also like to think it’s about learning to love what we have and I hear a lot of that coming from you. Nice stuff.