Success in Life

firstly, i dont believe success in life is based purley on choices, it is far from it.

secondly, and more importantly, thinking somone's life is successful, is a judgement, a perspective.

so that in turn applies to everyone as individuals.

If you feel your life is a success, then it is.

You can have financial success, career success, success with family and all the other things people tend to value as important, but still not feel your life was successful. Some people just never have enough.

At the same time, you might be homeless, broke as all hell, bruised and battered, yet feel so lucky that your alive, and feel so mature in your mind from things youve seen and learnt, that you might feel your life is a success.

Yet other people may of course perceive those people and their level of success in life quite differently.

Some people consider success in life to be valued in terms of finance and assets. Some value their success on the basis of loved ones, starting a family. Some might base the success of their life in terms of fullfilling desires, dreams and ambitions.

Success in life, is ultimatley what you value, and how you perceive your life.

Choices you make, and the consequences (which aren't always negative i might add, good on ya josh for pointing that out), do add to the substance of one's life, but i empahsise that they 'ADD' to the substance, they do not make up the whole of one's life.

One's life is filled with emotional, mental, and physical elements as well all the accosiated tangents you could discuss related to these things.

This ranges from memories, to activites, associations, choices, health, ambitions, finance, history, reputations, career, family, friends, interests, likes, dislikes, learning, unlearning, the pub down the road, the sports team you follow, that tree down you always liked, your fear of falling, your talents at cooking... the list would go on forever.

This is what makes up one's life, and how you view the success of that, is up to you.

 

Oh yeah, to elaborate on what I meant by: few ppl realize they can accomplish anything...

Most ppl feel achievment when they meet desires that for some reason they thought they couldn't. Like, a guy gets a nice car, and he feels good - in his head he's going: "ahha! I managed to get a nice car - go me - not everybody can get a nice car - look, that guy doesn't have a nice car - neither does that guy - ha, I am successful" But really, this makes little sense. Anybody, and literally anybody who really wants a nice car, will get one. Having a nice car doesn't mean you're smart or cool, or a good planner, or lucky or anything. It just means you decided to have a nice car. Plenty of dumb ppl have nice cars. Plenty of jerks have nice cars. Plenty of irresponsible ppl have nice cars. Plenty of unfortunate ppl have nice cars. So don't think your nice car says anything about who you as a person are.

Not only is it false, but it's unhealthy too... because as soon as other ppl get cars that are as nice, or nicer - suddenly your reason for feeling good about yourself is gone.

Success should come from the things intrinsic and unique to you. Intrinsic meaning, you have it naturally. And unique meaning, nobody else has it. Only one thing fits that bill: will. Your will is what sets you apart from everybody else and it is something that will always be yours as long as 'you' exist. So you should feel successful when you come to understand your will better, and when you use it. And that's pretty much the bottom line...

 

I agree. Great post! owerup:

 

NateSMZ i dont agree with that at all, if im born naturally sporty, that doesnt make me successful at life. if im born mentally disabled, that doesnt make me successful at life.

will, drive, ambition... those things are always good, but that again doesnt equal success in life.

i do accept that this is your opinion of course.

also i'm not assuming you didnt read my post, but your post appeared to be one of a new perspective, not one in response to mine.

i'm curious, could you please read my post and tell me what you think?

i put a fair bit of thought into my post and i was hoping for some feedback, instead of being skipped.

 

You said the exact same thing as me... I don't think you even realize it.

I said intrinsic AND unique. There's nothing unique about being sporty or mentally disabled.

When I say "will", I don't mean 'willpower' - I mean your spirit, your essence, your existence - the part of you that makes you you. The power you possess to make choices, to desire, to perceive, to cause.

 

ah,.. ok i did misunderstand your post. you said will... and when you USE it, so i naturally assumed you meant using will power.

i think we're on similiar thought, though i still think there is difference between our opinions.

see i agree with what you say, although i dont think that equals success in life, which is what this thread is about.

Understanding 'will' in the context you explain it to be, does not really mean someone feels this success. I used to understand my own character quite well, and i understood why i did things and why certain things happened, and i knew when how and why i chose to do things, and so on. Understanding this stuff didnt make me feel a success in life though. I was deep in strife at that point in time. My life was hell. That was not success for me.

what you just said is more about character building, the essence of you you are, and what you do with yourself n'all that kind of thing.

I'm saying that success in life is based on how you perceive your life, in a holistic approach, or, in terms of what you value to equal a successful life.

'So you should feel successful when you come to understand your will better, and when you use it.'
So your saying that this is what you feel is important for a successful life.

That does not equal success in life for someone else.

What i was trying to explain allows for everyone to perceive the success of their life, as just that. Their perception.

Your explanation is too limited to your own perspective.

In my opinion, ironically.

 

Well the point was that IF a person perceives success as I have defined it, they can gain satisfaction which cannot be lost. However, measuring success by any other ruler will leave the person dissatisfied at some point, and most likely, quite often.

And quite frankly, it is impossible to understand the unique power which you possess, and not be content. If a person is unhappy with their life, then I can safely say they do not fully comprehend their will.

 

If my will can't make fire, what's it good for?

 

You never heard of matches? Of course you can will the existence of fire.

 

pfft that's cheap, what if I don't have any matches around? (that includes appropriate pieces of wood, stones etc.)

 

Inferno spell always worked for me, you should try it.

 

well, without wood and stones - you could always use glass to focus sunlight on a piece of cloth =]

 

success doesn't necessarily mean the victory of a certain competition, or an achievement of a goal....
it is more of attaining or experiencing satisfaction, guarantee, and feeling that you've done something that makes you satisfied and complete....... (serious answer)

beating seven insane difficulty adjusted protoss forces that are all out on a mission to destroy you with starting units of five probes and twelve carriers (LOL note)

 

My definition of success is achieving immortality, omnipotence, and omniscience. (Strictly speaking, once I get omnipotence, the other two just fall into place.) So, in all likelihood, I am going to be a failure =(

The next best thing (logically) is to be a game designer, and be responsible for the creation of several awesome games.