How do you define success? What conditions must be met for someone to be considered a successful individual? I have pondered this concept, trying to determine where I, myself, fall in this category. Through the many experiences I have incurred, along with hearing the stories of others, I have come to the realization that success is not one simple thing. It can be seen more as a web, with many connecting threads, each one playing a vital role in the other’s existence and stability. There is no grand accomplishment that one has to achieve to be noted as a “success”. Success is like happiness in a way. It is something that we are always pursuing and, as a result, we sustain many successes that aid in the completion of our life’s purpose.
I don’t believe success is contingent upon me “making it”, whatever “it” is. My reality may reveal that I have not yet succeeded at accomplishing a particular goal, but that does not hinder me from being, or becoming a success. I think that the pressure that not “making it” has put on people has caused a lot of grief and depression. Many young men and women are striving to achieve economic, academic, and professional success only to fall short due to various external factors that were never calculated as part of the plan. It is unfair for them to think that their “failure” or change in course is considered to be unsuccessful when they had to succeed in something to even make it to the point at which they have unfortunately fallen short. Success is being able to move forward in spite of failures, obstacles, and lack.
In the pursuit of success, I have acquired many victories, some bigger than others, and in my own right am a successful individual. Do I have that six-figure salary job and an office with a nice view? Not at all. But I do have a plethora of achievements that include helping a number of teenagers go to college, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and traveling to different countries. Each change in course has afforded me opportunities that I otherwise would not have encountered.
--Ms. Royalty