What does "successful" mean to you?

[dullard]

I define success as the point where you can get most of the things you want in life. That will mean completely different things to different people. It could be having lots of material goods, winning a sport event, getting the right job (usually involving a degree), having children that are brought up well, etc. Since what people really want in life will vary from person to person, their personal measures of being successful will vary.

 

[ITJunkie]

I feel successful. I'm happy
I've managed to stay married for 17 yrs. and I can honestly say I am happily married. Hasn't always been easy for us but we keep "getting back up". I know it sounds corny but we are each others strongest supporters in whatever we choose to do.
My daughter just turned 17 and my son turns 11 today. My wife and I were just talking about it this morning that, thanks to our kids, our lives are never boring!
I've worked in totally sh1tty, labor intensive jobs but worked my way up to where I am today where I use my brains more than brawn. I just finished my 2 yr degree and will continue on to get my bachelors....maybe even a masters. I'm not wealthy by any means but we are comfortable and are far ahead of where my parents were at my age.
There are still plenty of things I wish to accomplish yet and hopefully will have many more years to achieve them.
Our life isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it could be a helluva lot worse too.

 

[vi edit]

Success for me is being able go to bed every night with a loving spouse in a nice home and not having to worry about getting the next paycheck to pay the bills or worry about how I'll pay for retirement.

So far, so good.

 

[Ausm]

Getting laid without having to be married =Priceless



Ausm

 

[CptObvious]

Successful - doing something you're good at, and making a living off of it.

I wouldn't consider myself successful yet, because I don't have the experience and I'm barely getting by at the moment.

 

[GasX]

I have a wife, a kid, 2 dogs, a good job and a house in a nice school district in the United States of America. I am 1 or kids away from true success...

 

[imported_KuJaX]

Not living paycheck to paycheck. Having the lifestyle you worked for. Being joyful and happy with your status, wife, kids and life. Not having to think twice to make purchases.

 

[Vegitto]

I will consider myself succesful if I have the following things:
-A nice, loving wife.
-A secure job that earns enough money that I don't have to worry (all that much) about it.
-A nice house.
-Kid(s).
-Pet(s).

I'm 15, BTW .

 

[jmcoreymv]

I'd like to start a business and have it not flop.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Successful means being able to sit around all day neffing on ATOT and get paid for it.

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: KuJaX
Not living paycheck to paycheck. Having the lifestyle you worked for. Being joyful and happy with your status, wife, kids and life. Not having to think twice to make purchases.

You're obviously not thinking about the right purchases then.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
yup

Nice. What would you say is your greatest success?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: badmouse

Originally posted by: Beachboy
To me "successful" is waking up another day, lol.

Same here. I've been poor, I've been rich. I buried one of my children. I've survived cancer and other assorted nastiness. My business partner was murdered many years ago. I survived a messy divorce. And, I'm a grandparent.

The hour or so after I wake up in the morning is my "joy" hour, when I think of all the wonderful things that exist and how great it is to be around to experience some of them.

Wow...I can think of nothing worse than having to do that.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Ausm
Getting laid without having to pay for it =Priceless



Ausm

Fixed.













































Just kidding man. :beer:

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: LolaWiz
Thank you for all your responses.

As you can see, i am really trying to assess some things in my life.
I am trying to figure out what makes successful people...well, successful.

All those that make good money, enjoying the ride, etc....

Any books you guys suggest i read for becoming an entrepreneur or sorts?

I am trying to think of something to do with my life.

Have children?

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Ausm
Getting laid without having to pay cash for it =Priceless



Ausm

Fixed.

Fixed.

 

[lokiju]

Don't know that I'll know unless I reach that point in my life.

 

[Zebo]

Success = production. What do you do productive for the society in which you live? Can be spiritual like an impoverished monk all the way to Bill Gates who prvides the world with software.

Obviously I feel trust fund babies, bumbs, criminals are not sucessful because all they do is take and never produce.

 

[pinion9]

I consider myself succesful. I am 25 and have achieved a lot.

Reasons:

I am a hard worker. I currently work a full time job plus take almost 24/7 call (grossing somewhere in the low 6 figures.) I have a B.S. in computer science and I also am finishing up my Master's degree in Software Engineering. I started a small software/consulting business. On top of that, I am building my 5300 sq. ft. house.

I have a great family. Awesome wife and 2 little kids. My daughter (3) constantly makes me laugh, and tells me that she loves me for no reason at all. I am a good husband and awesome daddy.

I have no debt and spare cash. We manage money well. I wanted a truck, so we saved up (well, sold some investment property) and bought a used F350 with cash. I kept my wife's crappy car and it is my daily driver. We don't live paycheck to paycheck and we each have a 401K and IRA that we contribute to monthly.

I am able to provide for my family. The children aren't spoiled, but they don't go without. I am able to take my kids to cool places for vacation, which gives them a view of different lives.

I am happy. I work hard and benefit from my labor. When I drive to my house to work on it, I know that I have put in hundreds (if not quite yet thousands) of hours to make it possible. I know stuff wasn't handed to me. My parents helped pay for some of my tuition when I was young, but I also have had a job since I was 14, so I paid a lot for it (small U, about $3,000/semester.)

When I come to work, I know I am needed by many. I work an often thankless job, but knowing work wouldn't be smooth without me makes me not need recognition from others.

I am succesful because I am exactly where I wanted to be and then some. I have a wife who has been married to me since back when I was making $10/hour. I told her one day we would be making 6 figures, and a few years ago I proved myself right. Success cannot be measured by money, happiness, family, or any other metric alone. It is the combination of all of these.

If you are working a crappy job, have an okay family, and barely make it by, but "you are happy"....then you are happy, not successful.

 

[Lola]

Originally posted by: Zebo
Success = production. What do you do productive for the society in which you live? Can be spiritual like an impoverished monk all the way to Bill Gates who prvides the world with software.

Obviously I feel trust fund babies, bumbs, criminals are not sucessful because all they do is take and never produce.

see, that is what i am feeling too... I am trying so hard to figure out how i can do something i love, but also contribute to society (at least in a small way).

I feel that success is not only financial security but helping others in some way.

 

[pinion9]

LolaWiz, how old are you? What do you do for work? Is it skilled, unskilled? A little background might help.

I came from normal upbringing and became successful on my own. I don't feel I have always been successful, and knew when I was. It is like being in love. You just know...

 

[pinion9]

Originally posted by: LolaWiz
see, that is what i am feeling too... I am trying so hard to figure out how i can do something i love, but also contribute to society (at least in a small way).

I feel that success is not only financial security but helping others in some way.

Yes, helping others is good. But those others needn't be strangers. I wouldn't consider your average Peace Corps lackey successful, nor would I consider a Tibetan monk successful. It is possibly to be selfish and successful, and it is also possible to be successful and unhappy. Usually those two go together.

 

[djheater]

I view success as being a recognized authority in a given field, such that your opinion is looked for and respected.

I am not successful at anything, just ask my wife

 

[Lola]

Originally posted by: pinion9
LolaWiz, how old are you? What do you do for work? Is it skilled, unskilled? A little background might help.

I came from normal upbringing and became successful on my own. I don't feel I have always been successful, and knew when I was. It is like being in love. You just know...

ygpm

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: LolaWiz

Originally posted by: Zebo
Success = production. What do you do productive for the society in which you live? Can be spiritual like an impoverished monk all the way to Bill Gates who prvides the world with software.

Obviously I feel trust fund babies, bumbs, criminals are not sucessful because all they do is take and never produce.

see, that is what i am feeling too... I am trying so hard to figure out how i can do something i love, but also contribute to society (at least in a small way).

I feel that success is not only financial security but helping others in some way.

I consider my wife a success even though she only worked 3 years out of 12. Her "production" is 4 children and all that goes along with that which I don't have to deal with thanks to her efforts. I guess my point was just doing something, anything productive puts you on the path to success and will always benefit society. Hopefully, which was not the case with me for the last 11 years, you are fortunate enough to find something you really enjoy or learn to enjoy at the same time.