Greetings Beat Within readers, please enjoy this special Editorial Note, by one of our dedicated student interns from San Francisco State University. Hannah has provided her take on the topic of Success for this essay she breaks down her “Definition of Success” what do you think?
As I know it, there are different interpretations of success—the ability to get education, securing a high-paying job, having a nice house, driving a sports car, wearing brands with names hard to pronounce—and while all of these offer a glimpse into someone’s prosperity in life. We often overlook what success looks like when it’s stripped off materialism. What I mean by this is, questioning what success looks like when we don’t attach materialism to define our place in life. Who are you when no one’s watching?
Are you content with what you have now without measuring it against someone else’s life? Does your job grow with you or drain you? Do your relationships inspire you to flourish? Does the city you live in bring more life out of you? Do you have the ability, to confront yourself when you’re wrong? Do you hold yourself with great standards? Are you surrounded by people who support you. Who support your future plans, no matter how distinct they are from theirs? Some philosophical questions I think about often when the subject of success comes up.
When I say having a soulful rumination is essential, I mean really digging into the
marrow of our existence and interrogating the notions that have long been embedded in our society to stick to no matter how antiquated they are. In this context, a soliloquy on success and what I consider success in life. For so long, I believed that the only way you can define someone successful is by their wealth. The things they own, spending money without having to look at the price tag. Having the autonomy to do what they desire without worrying about the results or the consequences, having a lifestyle without worrying about if they can last before their next paycheck.
Though as I got older and step into the world of ups and downs, of happiness and exhaustion, of boredom and excitement. I slowly realized that it wasn’t the things that I used to yearn for, that would give me the ability to finally see life with contentment. I have, in the palm of my hands, of what I used to hope for, slowly turn into acts of chores because I didn’t know how to celebrate my wins without attaching some materialistic notions of success. Being tired most the time, risking my sleep, risking my health, risking acts of self-care in exchange for how society portrays success as a destination rather than a journey. And I thought if this is what success feels like, then I don’t want it.
It takes a great deal of living and sitting with yourself after, to recognize what’s
worth keeping in life, in lieu of societal pressure. From the marks of my footsteps, success is about being content with what I have now and making the most of it. It’s about choosing a path different from the rest. It’s about choosing a path that continually inspires me to do more. It’s about finding contentment in what I do now, knowing it’s merely helping me grow into a flower. And even then, flowers dry out but that’s never an excuse to not plant another seed.
I think that what’s beautiful about success in my opinion is that success is not meant to be linear, but rather a wave through life. Some days I have the privilege to free myself of duties and distractions. Some days I’m moving around like there’s no tomorrow. While I don’t have a nice house or a nice car, it still feels like I have everything in the world because I have the ultimate power to change my perspective in life. I have the power to redirect my life. I have the power to choose my own thoughts. I have the power to let people live how they want to live their lives. And building a kind of mindset has only allowed me to live a life so unfazed by what doesn’t go my way because I will always find another way.
And so, success to me is freeing myself from the need for other people’s
approval. Like them, I also have the liberty, as to what I consider myself or where I stand in life. In this context, I am successful because I have something I’m passionate about. I have hobbies that inspire me to be creative. I have books that constantly challenge me. I have music that accompanies me like a friend. I have friends who support me in my journey no matter how different it is from theirs. I am surrounded by people who celebrate other people who live different lives. I am successful because I understand that life is supposed to look different for everyone.
The word “success” is rather abstract considering the many notions attached to
it. We are constantly caught up in the loop of comparison, that what may seem successful to others, might not for the rest. I’m here to say it now that these notions are entirely authoritative that come from certain backgrounds and experiences that won’t be fully understood. Some define success by wealth, some by depth.
What’s essential about both is that they be put to good use. Let us not allow anyone who’s wealthy with money that a job outside of the STEM field is a failure. At the same time, let us not allow anyone who’s wealthy with depth, to convince us that we don’t reward ourselves from the fruits of our labor, is somehow shallow. Success shines through when we come to understand that life looks different for everyone. Success shines through when we acknowledge that contentment comes in different shapes and forms. Success shines through when we free ourselves from other people’s expectations.
“I have lived in this body all my life and know it much better than any fashion designer. I think I know what looks good on me, and I certainly know what feels good in me.” Maya Angelou
-Hannah
Thank you Hannah, we love how you break down all the different aspects of success. Surely it is up to each individual person, to determine how success will look in their own lives. Sometimes the hardest part of finding your joy is having the strength to break free from the expectations of others. Maya Angelou is correct, that we each will determine what feels good, to find our own success in the world.