Who is a Successful Person?

What really is success? What makes an individual successful? According to Merriam-Webster mini Dictionary, success is defined as, “the act of achieving something good that you have been trying to do, or something that has a god result or is very popular. The word ‘success’ originated in the mid-16th century from Latin ‘successus’ , from the verb ‘succedere’. The society at large thinks success is all about material things such as how expensive one’s car is, how large one’s house is or one’s social status in the society and financial freedom. However, success does not basically deal with material goods and properties, but is tied to broader concepts such as happiness, overcoming hardship and achieving certain goals.

The true indicator of success is not determined by what an individual accomplishes but rather how the individual feels after an accomplishment. In other words, in order for one to be seen as successful, he or she must be happy or contented. For instance, if I look back at my life since I was born till this moment and I feel satisfied and happy with my current situation, I would consider myself a success. However, if I look back and I feel I could have done better and feel disappointed, I would not consider myself to be a success. Hence, success is directly proportional to happiness.

Also, success can be attained by achievement of one’s goals. In other to accomplish a specific goal, one must start by achieving smaller goals which will later lead to the main achievement. For example, before Germany soccer players could win the FIFA world cup, they had to go through European play offs, topped their group, made it through the world cup group stages, round of 16, quarter and seminal finals before reaching finals and winning it. Success no matter how big or small they are can only be achieved by attaining smaller goals which will lead to the main goal.

Furthermore, success is something one soughts after. For one to be successful, one must strive hard and fight for it. For instance, if one works one’s way up in an organization through hard work and selfless services, one would be considered a success. On the other hand, if a person knows someone who mischievously worked that person to the top, such a person would not be looked upon as a success. There must always be the passion and desire to succeed, it cannot be handed over or paid for. If a student studies well and prepares hard for a test, such a student will surely succeed and pass the test. The desire to work hard and pass the test made him or her succeed. In addition, success is also overcoming hardship. No one likes going through rough times and going through pains. Someone who has scaled through obstacles will always feel accomplished. As David Brinkley stated, “a man can be proud if he has laid a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him”. The most valuable lessons can come from failures; Like Dale Carnegie said, ”Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success”.

How would we understand the meaning of success if we do not experience disappointment? Light would not exist without darkness, and success would not really be accomplished without failure. But everyone will always hope that his or her failure is only temporary. Again, success is love. This is love that money cannot buy. We need to realize that there is more to success than just wealth and fame. There are so many things in life, that we can cherish and love, just waiting for us to discover them. Such things include love for our family and friends, love for certain genre of music and so on. Love is making a huge difference in the world. Whenever we are planning out something, we should always remember to include something we love. We must appreciate everything and love it whole heartedly.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “to laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition, to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded”. In conclusion, in order to be successful or become a success, we must set a goal, attain them, love a lot, be determined to overcome every obstacle to achieve our goal and be happy while achieving it or while we achieve it. We all want to achieve success and make plans to be successful, however, with a shallow interpretation of success, many people have no chance of attaining it.