The Steps Necessary to Achieve Happiness and Success

Merriam-Webster defines the word success as "the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence." To the four year old child, however, success might simply mean mastering the entire alphabet; while success in the eyes of a nun may be dedicating her entire life to God and spreading the word of religion. The definition of success is not easily defined as it is interpreted differently by every single individual in society. True success requires confidence, passion, and appreciation. Success is attaining your own personal goals in order to achieve optimal self-worth, confidence, and, most importantly, happiness.

In today’s modern times, we are faced with the idea that success is epitomized by the rich, famous, confident, popular individual. The individual who lives a lavish lifestyle with a mansion, expensive cars, jet-skis, and endless amounts of cash is said to be happy and to top it off, successful. Mainstream media has convinced millions of members of society to accept this false, pretentious definition of success. Thankfully, this overblown definition of success is rarely the case in everyday life.

Society is led to believe that living a narcissistic lifestyle, involving strictly monetary fortune and never-ending fame will bring success and happiness. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case in our society. While money may be infatuating for a short period of time, it soon becomes rather dry and boring after a limited time of use. Since money is capable of buying various conveniences and comforts, it is perceived that money is equivalent to success, but an individual needs more than material items and deep pockets to live a well-balanced life of success.

Money may make life a bit easier for certain people, but that does not necessarily mean it makes life better for people. For instance, money cannot buy lifelong relationships that are full of true memories, experiences, and emotions. All of these vital things are aspects of the concept of success. Contrary to popular belief, I feel money detracts from attaining success because it provides numerous distractions, temptations, and corruptions. Success cannot simply be bought, but it must be earned through dedication, experience, and self-growth.

Though success is generally identified as a singular accomplishment, I do believe that success can also be granted with the help of others. I do not believe that I would ever achieve success without the help of my own family and my friends. The reason being, they not only make me happy, but they help boost my own self confidence and allow me to appreciate my own self-worth. With that being said, I do believe that it is possible to achieve success alone, but I just do not see that being my own personal path to success. I owe all of the opportunities I have been given in my life to my parents, and therefore, I could not imagine a life, let alone a successful one, without them by my side. Regardless of how hard I work and how far I travel on the path to success, I will never feel entirely fulfilled unless I have a lasting relationship with individuals whom I love and care for.

In my opinion, since success is happiness, the most important aspect of success is confidence. If an individual is not confident in themselves, then they will likely not be confident in their lives. Due to this, they will continuously strive to be more, in order to satisfy their own near-impossible idea of perfection and success. It is incredibly easy to sulk over the negatives and identify all of the lackluster aspects of our lives, but it is truly humbling to accept what our lives are and embrace those lives; flaws and all. If an individual can come to terms with themselves and their lives, then they will likely pave the way for their own success. Doing this may take days for some, but may take a lifetime for others. Regardless of how long it takes, it is important for individuals to recognize their effort, their worth, and, ultimately, the steps necessary to achieve happiness and success.

There is an old expression that says that attaining happiness in life does not necessarily abandoning all passions, but rather mastering those passions. I personally believe this has a great deal to do with success. In life we are constantly pressured to determine our futures and determine our passions. We are asked as soon as we can speak what we like and what we dislike. I can always recall my own mother asking me about my personal goals: “What are you going to do with your life? Do you even plan on going to college? What’s your ‘plan B?’ Are you still going to pursue your musical talents? What if things don’t work out? Will you come back home? What will you do then?”

Each time my mother asked me these questions, my answer would differ. At some ages, I was absolutely certain what I wanted to do and how I would do it. At other ages, I looked at her with teary eyes and told her that I honestly had no idea what I was doing with myself, or my own life. Eventually, I realized that I didn’t particularly care what road I took. I was going to do whatever it took for me to be happy. This may mean spending my life writing a food blog, or this may mean dedicating my life to schooling so I can become a world-renowned heart surgeon. Whatever path I may take in life, I want to have a never-ending passion within my heart for my life. I want to be confident in myself, know that my life is worth living, and have a smile that radiates from within. I want to be successful.