I read Mike Lewis’s recent article The 3 Differences Between My Rich and Poor Friends. The article made me rethink my values and definition of success.
I realized we need a unified definition of success, or we will be unable to communicate with others about it.
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But on the other hand, a detailed definition of success is so subjective and quite different for every individual on this planet.
For example, my definition of success will make me an ultimate failure, but very happy at the same time.
LOL — does that mean I have found — what I fundamentally do not believe in — a paradox?
At a certain point in my life, I decided to rethink and redefine my life values and goals. I got scared of achieving my life goal because it sounded like a dead end.
I have met many people who achieved their goals and then felt empty and miserable — just moments after that.
I wanted to set my goals, so I would always eagerly chase them, never catch them, and not feel bad.
Does that sound like an existential crisis? Maybe. Do I care? No!
I wanted to be better every day and the best version
I will ultimately fail because I can always be (even) better. (Although considering ALL circumstances, we always do our best!)
But I will also be joyful about it because of the drive it has provided. A look will make me immensely happy and proud of myself.
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Getting back to the topic, some people seem wildly successful. And we often wish we were in their shoes. But, are we sure they are really successful?
When comparing others with your definition of success, you must consider the following:
There is no free lunch. Everyone has to ‘carry their own weight.’ And you, too, can always have it all. Not only the tip of the iceberg.
What is your definition of success? Whenever someone asks that question, I want to ask the following:
Are you an original or (just) a copy?
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:
 White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism |
 Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box |
 The Lack of Gentle Platonic Touch in Men’s Lives is a Killer |
 What We Talk About When We Talk About Men |
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Photo credit: Karsten Würth on Unsplash
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