What is success? Can it be measured? If it can be, how does one measure it? How much of it does one need to have to be called a ‘success’? Who decides who is successful or not? Who decides what success is? Who lays down the parameters of success? Is success a uniform thing? Is there a set way or technique to understand and know for certain if a person, a project or anything for that matter is a success or not? And if the answer is yes to all these questions, can it all be the same every time? Will the measurement, the technique, the deciding person or factor remain the same in every circumstance? No, it can’t be. It stands true for success as well.
What or who is a success? How much is a success? These are but dependent upon many factors – circumstances, social opinion, bias or impartiality of the person who judges the parameter of success and the field or area in which the success is being measured. Out of these, social opinion or the opinion and thoughts of the masses – the public – plays a very significant role. No matter how successful a person or a thing may be in the eyes of their family and among their circle of friends or by those associated with it respectively, it is but the ‘mass opinion’ and the acceptance of the population at large which decides or puts a stamp of approval to the success. So what is accepted in the society as success will be the standard or the level that one has to measure up to in order to be termed a success. And people’s opinion depends on the circumstances – the environment prevalent at that point of time – which would influence and guide the thoughts of the people. As such, the definition of success changes with time.
So, the best way to thrive for success is not to base it on how the society looks at it or judges it. But to seek one’s own opinion and compare the final outcome with what one had set out to at the onset of the task. In other words be your own judge of how much you have achieved and how successful you are in doing what you had planned to do. It may or may depend on how the society at large reacts or responds to it. Or it may depend solely on the people’s judgement. Key is to set your own parameters. For someone who has a target of selling three paintings, to have sold two would be a fair enough achievement. But it would count as nothing for someone who wants to sell hundreds of them. Most of the times we see people fail because they actually ‘fail’ to see that their success is a matter of how they see it and not how the people around them does. One just needs to be very clear about one’s idea of success and what definition it holds for them. Then work towards it. There is no greater failure than failing from one’s own standard and there is no greater success than succeeding on one’s own terms.
What or who is a success? How much is a success? These are but dependent upon many factors – circumstances, social opinion, bias or impartiality of the person who judges the parameter of success and the field or area in which the success is being measured. Out of these, social opinion or the opinion and thoughts of the masses – the public – plays a very significant role. No matter how successful a person or a thing may be in the eyes of their family and among their circle of friends or by those associated with it respectively, it is but the ‘mass opinion’ and the acceptance of the population at large which decides or puts a stamp of approval to the success. So what is accepted in the society as success will be the standard or the level that one has to measure up to in order to be termed a success. And people’s opinion depends on the circumstances – the environment prevalent at that point of time – which would influence and guide the thoughts of the people. As such, the definition of success changes with time.
So, the best way to thrive for success is not to base it on how the society looks at it or judges it. But to seek one’s own opinion and compare the final outcome with what one had set out to at the onset of the task. In other words be your own judge of how much you have achieved and how successful you are in doing what you had planned to do. It may or may depend on how the society at large reacts or responds to it. Or it may depend solely on the people’s judgement. Key is to set your own parameters. For someone who has a target of selling three paintings, to have sold two would be a fair enough achievement. But it would count as nothing for someone who wants to sell hundreds of them. Most of the times we see people fail because they actually ‘fail’ to see that their success is a matter of how they see it and not how the people around them does. One just needs to be very clear about one’s idea of success and what definition it holds for them. Then work towards it. There is no greater failure than failing from one’s own standard and there is no greater success than succeeding on one’s own terms.
nicely written!
ReplyDelete"there's no greater failure than fallin from one's own standard" -so damn true
but i think there's something extra that comes free with universally acceptable n one's very personal success- i think it's balance.. success demands balance. people can succeed in others' eyes n still feel guilty or dissatisfied in their own measures. one's heart may not make sense to another one because more or less, it's another heart, serving SOME OTHER body. people listen to others. people listen to themselves. agreed- at the end of the day you shouldn't stand as a failure in own eyes; but eyes are everywhere, voices are too.. sticking to your own success is worthy, i guess, only when your inner voice is much much louder. and again, on the balancing part, if you miss that one rare loud voice just because someone is looking, you violate the laws of success in the first place!
;)