How do you define success, being successful, or successful people?

I know some people wouldn't consider this a success, but I measure it in the happiness of my child. When she wakes up happy,I love it when she comes home from pre-school screaming mommy look what I can do, my heart soars. It's hard work protecting a child from the every day problems of life and sometimes I have failed but over all I've done it. and I can measure success in each smile on her face

Thanks for providing that nice poem. And I like it even though I am not the poetic laureate. Talking about SUCCESSFUL to my definition is SATISFACTION. That is why there are levels of successfulness and achievements, because they are searching for their level of comfort for satisfaction. Different people will strive for their different satisfactions. And from this kind of different behaviors in achieving levels of satisfactions, it generate economy value to human kind and the process of changing or developing satisfactions is so called as economy recycle. If every people only need one chair for one house or don't want to have it change at all due to the same level of satisfaction, means chair manufacturer has to close down the factory. Very slow sales rate.

Thanks for posting very interesting topic. I had run several discussions on success related topics which were well responded by mylotians. For me success is nothing the rewards one gets after executing hardwork in a effective and effecient manner. Haven't you heard of husband/relatives praising your wife that her preparation in kitchen is simply excellent? It is the same old ingredients, same combination and the timing is important of its mixing, the duration that stays on kitchen fire. What is important is the enthusiasm and love she puts in preparation of food makes it all different. So therefore, one should have unsatiable enthusiasm in doing any work and coupled with hardwork brings success. The success also embraces those who acquire the required skill. I acquired the skill of typing quite fast during my school days. It had not helped me much then and now I have opened a business centre where I do text processing.The skill helps me to do at amazing speed, here the skill helps me to earn by bread, butter and even jam. Lastly, success should not be measured with that of others. Whatever I do, I consider it successful, because I never failed. There is possibility of imagination and execution. If I imagine that I should become or over take Bill Gates, I should have resources (not money) to do so. Success also brings a lot of satisfaction.

To me my Dad was a success .H etook over his brothers and sisters when he was 13 and help his dad rasiethem leanred to cook sew clean house work and went to school till the 10th Grade Raasied my sis and brother and also went to be a jet engine machanic. HE didnt have to have a college degree to do this just knowlegde and hard work. Also my hubby I think was a success he ran and worked 3 farmes from the tie he was 8 plowed and planted the fields and had the head on him to figure how much seed to plant per avre his brother who was 7 yers older than him couldnt do it he just didnt have horse since to figure it out. Hubby left school in the 11th grade and went to work where his brither in law did and became a jrnman Lineman top of his feild for 30 years after apprentice ships.and we rasie 22 great kids that didnt get into much trouble. I really dont think hat college would have done them any good as it probably isnt helping out to many kids now Out of all the kids going now and spending aprents maney up will come out with a degree and then not be able to work at what they want o for they wont apply thierselves to it. The ones that will come out will be the ones that worked ahrd and probably had to help work for the college tuition BUt there ya have it my 2 example of people I think were a great success

Success, for me is doing what I believe is right for me. It may be wrong for other's point of view, I amy offend someone by simply expressing myself, but that is life. As long as I know I don't hurt anybody and I feel satisfied of what I do, that for me is success. Even those evil-doers feel successful in what they do, right? Though I don't consider myself one of them, I hope you dig me!LoL Seriously, success for me has led me to understand more of things. Because after achieving it, I was first a loser. This drove me to be persuasive and to give my best more and prove to myself what I am capable of, it somehow made a beneficial result on my part. Just like you, I would love to share my success in whatever way I could!;)

I define success as being happy and content. When I reach the point in my life where I have accomplished my personal goals and I am happy and content that is when I will consider myself successful.

Honestly speaking, I donot think even for a while to write the responses because I get the thoughts before I hit the keys. But what is amazing is your accurate analysis of the writing. I do not have so much of patience to give comments. I enjoyed reading it and hope you will continue to do so. Wonderful statements are incorporated in your writings. Thanks and have a good day.

Success can be measured in the terms of the happiness and self suficiency which you feel after achieving something which you have desired in the work performed by you. Success is also a parameter which may be considered while meausuring happiness as it will induce confidence in th person who is more successful.

The term' success ' has vast implications if you go into elaborate analysis and examples . we will find that people make statements like- "He is a tremendous financial success. But what is the use? On a personal level, he does not have absolute fulfilment." "He is a geek, is a genius in numbers, but in his office he is a failure.'' " That is a simple person who has a good family, enjoys great health , but somewhere there seems to be something wrong.He is not leading a comfortable life.[here the word 'comfort' obviously refers to material comforts." We need not worry about perceptions and what people say. So, I prefer to fall back on the proper definition of this word and elaborate that this is an accomplishment of an aim.This aim varies from person to person and there are far too many subjective interpretations possible. But on the whole, I feel that a person who has fulfilled all his duties[ life thrusts responsibilities on us and we have to fulfil them]and can sleep peacefully at night without a care is a success. A person who has inner peace and contentment is a tremendous success. A person who never loses his cool and has absolute equanimity of mind is a success. A person who feels with all his heart that he has done his work to the best of his knowledge and that he could not have performed better is a success. [ here it calls for an objective analysis of one's capability and sense of duty to do his work without 'attachment to results'] These elaborations of mine obviously give priority to a person's state of mind and like you I tend to give more importance to this spiritual success than any other-corporate success, financial success, political success, etcetc etc..,.., Regarding your ''measure of achievement'' in life, I feel that we are all in society and do crave recognition but I also feel that this measure should be one's own and not the measure that the world respects. You have also mentioned this in your description of people living in an inwardly manner.This is my view also. If a person happily says,''As far as I am concerned I am a success.", he is a successful person. But of course this does not imply that I advocate shirking of one's responsibility. As I had pointed out earlier, one has to fulfil one's duties to the best of capability in a detached manner. And participation is as important as winning. Otherwise all responses will cease after the best response is marked in My Lot.com

I've long felt rather inferior to my brother because he has several degrees and is now retired from a fantastic job for Merrill Lynch, he has his house paid for, the whole nine yards. I, on the other hand, married at 17 and worked at factories for years before starting as a letter carrier for the post office where I worked for 18 years. In recent years I've realized that while I haven't enjoyed the career or financial success my brother has I have "succeeded" in other areas; I have a wonderful and beautiful daughter who has given me two beautiful grandkids and I'll soon celebrate my 38th anniversary to a wonderful man. As the filling in the sandwich I've taken care of my mother and I've taken care of my daughter and her family, sometimes at the same time but that's what "success" in life is all about to me! My boss may not have liked me too much, my bankers don't like me so much these days but my family and friends - and I can't forget my cats - love me for myself. There are many who are richer or more successful in their chosen field but I've had all the success I need. Annie

I like the poem because it reflects my view of success. To me it is not what we have or do that matters but rather who we are. Anytime anyone defines themselves by outer trappings rather than a set of values and beliefs they not only talk about but actually live by they probably don't view themselves as truly successful. Thinking and feeling one way and acting another usually leads to inner discontent and so in my view success is living an honorable, ethical life and striving for excellence, growth and an ability to adapt to challenge in change with grace and dignity. As I have said it is not what we do but who we are that defines success. From my viewpoint anyway. Mylot is not somewhere I spend much time but I do like to stop by and add to your discussions when I am here because they are good ones. Keep up the good work.

For me, I measure my success on whether I am happy or not. Am I happy doing what I do. Whether I have fulfilled my dreams. So right now I am no way near being successful. I have a lousy job with lousy pay. I am just separated and alone. There is definately a chance that I will be happy with my life therefore successful. But I haven't gotten there just yet.

Are you happy in your life i mean in general you are a successful person and its the proof of you got the succes because we do things to be happy... All for happiness or a song ALL FOR LOVE...

from my perspective,success means brilliant achievement in career,having a wonderful family,respected by others.of course,most importantly,your life should be the kinda you are dreaming of,sometimes you are vexed by some trouble,and through all your resolute efforts,at the end of each experience,you learned how wonderful life could be just harboring a ordinary heart,sharing life with those significantly people in your life.also always expect the unexpected is necessary,which could make your life full of surprice.so you never felt bored,meeting new people,hanging out with those wonderful people is also fantastic.i enjoy the feeling being surrounded by a bunch of friends