Success

[squidge]

Following on from the "Streetwise" Thread and this quote from Landmarker



how are you defining 'success'? avoiding being mugged or assaulted, or swindled. What do you mean by 'succeed' every life has it's pitfalls & regrets. They're all part of the pageant.



I wondered how people measured success - their own or that of others? I wondered whether we feel we ourselves have made a success of our lives and if not what would we have done differently - or could we actually have influenced it at all? Is success something that happens inspite of ourselves or because of ourselves? Is it money or power or love?

I have my own opinions as you all would expect:eyes but ill save them til later

[golach]

Following on from the "Streetwise" Thread and this quote from Landmarker

I wondered how people measured success - their own or that of others? I wondered whether we feel we ourselves have made a success of our lives and if not what would we have done differently - or could we actually have influenced it at all? Is success something that happens inspite of ourselves or because of ourselves? Is it money or power or love?

I have my own opinions as you all would expect:eyes but ill save them til later
I measure my success by the number of good friends and aquaintances I have collected over the years, of which there have been many and diverse I include all the Caithness.Org'rs I have met personally, and in the chat room.

[Ann]

I measure my success by how happy I am. And by that I mean each day as it comes, not just at the weekend with a dram!
Maybe it is as I get older but each day is important to me now. No more waiting until I earn more; until I meet "the one"; until the kids grow up etc., etc.
I tend to look on each day anew and enjoy it for what it has to offer. I jump at the chance of something new instead of waiting for something better to come along; try to be impulsive about lunch invitations, holidays and having fun.
I am successful if I am happy! :o)
Ann

[Saveman]

One thing is for sure: true success cannot be measured by the amount of money you have in your bank account or by the size of car in your driveway or the size of house beside the driveway.....

[landmarker]

Common sense replies.

My initial words were posted slightly out of context but I'll forgive squidge.
First off the most important thing in life is good health.

No big car. no bulging bank balance can translate to 'success' but they may be considered signposts by some. I wouldn't argue. Financial security is a big aid to hapiness. Not in the opulence and affluence it brings - just the lack of day to day money worries. Luckily we've not had these for two decades and more.

Because? Well, one of the reasons is another signpost to success. Our children wanted to live with us until well into adulthood. The chipped in with a fair rent, and were earning reasonably good money. We had a lot of laughs in those years. Those are the years when your kids can become your friends without need for discplinary issues like 'what time did you get in last night' etc. etc.

I've been married for thirty six years, also a sign of some sort of success. We've had us ups and downs and many a good and heated row but we know when we're well off and we know what side our breads buttered en all.

Job wise? I can't call it a career, (maybe one day when my air brakes fail downhill) I've had almost thirty jobs of all kinds. Never took any messin' , b/s or done much that I didn't enjoy (unless it was easy). Foillowed my instincts in packing jobs in on a friday and getting a new one the following week. Consequently I've never really amounted to much in terms of earning power.

I'm lucky in that I'm articulate enough to express myself and get my feelings out.A lot of men can't and it doesn't always do 'em much good to keep things bottled up.

I wish now though I'd stuck with a career, but only 'cos I' could retire at 55 ! This year.

I dont consider myself or my life a success though. Not yet. I have too many hang ups about modern Britain to be happy or content in anything other than a domestic sense. So many things that happen make me seethe, or fit to explode.

So to sum up I'm domestically contented. I'll finally consider myself a success when I'm surveying a sea-loch from my front garden at seventy with a glass of red in hand as the sun sets in the west.(or rises in the East I'm nae fussed lol)

Anything other than success does NOT equal failure, there is a whole lot in between and most of us muddle through somehow with half a smile on us faces.

[wickerinca]

Great post Landmarker!

I think that the sitting with the glass of wine watching the sun setting/rising!!...............would give you serenity......and maybe that is success in a way. The peace of heart and mind to be able to sit and enjoy the moment........knowing that you have done the best that you can for everyone that matters to you. That would be a fair measure of a successful life for me.