So many aspiring artists want their end goal in life to be their name in lights, riches beyond their wildest dreams, and fame. While that all sounds great, I had a realization recently that all of that is much less likely to occur than something a little more realistic.

I want my future to be full of happiness. I want to be working a great job, writing music, and spending time with the person I love. I used to dream of moving to Nashville or LA and becoming a huge star. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that becoming famous would take a lot out of my life. I would have less time to spend with my family, to write music, to go hiking...fame would become my entire life.

And I don't want that.

I want to write music, yes. I want to have a record deal. I want to make albums and make money off of my music. But I also want to do the other things that I love. I want to go hiking on weekends with my boyfriend and continue to see the world with him.

I took a class last semester at Berklee called "Essentials of Success". We were asked at the end of the semester to write a short paper on what our personal definitions of success were. After taking the class, I realized that success no longer meant riches and fame to me. It meant happiness and personal fulfillment, feeling like I was accomplished while still content with my life.

I've been lucky enough to have great friends and to have found an amazing person that I want to spend my life with. Success is happiness. I'm already feeling successful.