In college, and life in general, there’s one word that forever buzzes around in people’s heads. That word is "success." Why else do people go to school if not to attain the meaning of those seven letters? To achieve success, students spend hours in the library studying Orgo. Success is the reason students juggle so much in so little time: writing for their school’s newspaper, sitting in on executive meetings for some club, and working in Professor So-and-So’s lab before class. Success explains all of the coffee students slurp down and the dark circles under their eyes. The achievement of success is an addiction.
Here’s the thing: Success can have more than one definition. I recently spoke with somebody about the definition of success. I told him that at Duke, sometimes it feels like if you’re not Pre-Med or majoring in Econ, your life is doomed. “How can I be successful if I’m not 100 percent sure what I want to be? It seems like everybody here knows exactly what internship they need in order to secure a job or precisely what score they need on their MCAT to reach the med school of their dreams. Everybody has a path laid out, directing them to the next stage in the attainment of their dream career. Meanwhile, I’m still unsure about my classes for next semester. How will I ever be successful at what I do?” I asked him.
What this person said to me I will never forget. He replied: “It’s OK not to have every minute of your life for the next 10 years planned out. Most of those people with strictly regimented plans will not follow through with their precise strategies. Life happens and opportunities shift. What you need to figure out is what your ideal definition of success is, and then work towards it.”
The following definitions are all varying interpretations of that simple, seven-letter, two-syllable word that humanity infinitely struggles to acquire: success. I challenge you to read the assorted meanings and then ask yourself, as this person asked me: “Which of these definitions is closest to your ideal definition of success? Is there an alternative definition that’s holding you back from your ideal definition?” There is no “proper answer” to these questions. The imperative thing is that you recognize what type of success means the most to you and then strive to achieve it. It’s easy for that ideal definition to become clouded by other people’s ideal definitions of success. Therefore, it is vital that you are cognizant of the type of success that is most important for your goals in life. Keep in mind that the ideal version of success may change at different points in your life. The crucial thing is to be conscious of what types of success mean the most and the least to you. In doing this, you will find yourself happier as well as working towards the most fulfilling version of your life. You know the famous saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure"? Guess what: It's the same with success!
Without further ado, here is a diverse assortment of successes (in no particular order):
-Success: The accomplishment of all the goals I had originally set for myself.
-Success: A life that includes having the respect of whichever community I contribute to through my professional or personal accomplishments.
-Success: A life that seems similar to those who I admire or envy for the things they have or what they get to do.
-Success: A life that follows the path of obtaining a high salary from a prestigious profession with material living standards well above average.
-Success: A life that is fulfilling and enriching because it is consistently defined by what I most value.
-Success: Continuing the lifestyle and status that I grew up with, maintaining the standards of the community of my personal background.
-Success: Living a life that allows me to pursue my interests and passions, knowing how they enrich and give my life meaning.
-Success: A life that is consistent with what my parents expect of or want from me.
- Success: Achieving and maintaining a higher standard of living than the one I grew up in, able to make things easier for those who raised me.
Don't forget: It's OK to have different goals than the people around you! It keeps the world interesting! Don't let those alternative definitions hold you back from the truest, happiest version of yourself!
*The definitions are borrowed from the Counseling and Psychological Services at Duke University
