I do not seek success, so much as contentment.

The house is in need of minimal repair, I have enough food and water, the vehicle starts and runs well, there are people who love me, there is still some money left at the end of the month, AND I am a member of Banjo HangOut, a fine place to visit.

I am content with that.

Yep...
Pretty simple...Mike...
Me too...

Content...imo ..is the real measure of success...

Mebee add...happy to that.. :0)

Well said 

2000-2012 when we spent summers in NS, the older couple across the road had been friends of my wife's family for a long time - like since forever!!  We dropped in for shooting-the-breeze over tea [don't recall coffee being offered] once or a couple of times each summer .... and always left with a boost to our moods/outlooks. 

The couple apparently didn't have a lot of material goods .... small, oldish house, uneven floors with worn linoleum ["hatch" to the cellar in the middle of the kitchen floor, fwiw], older vehicle and yard equipment, etc., etc., but were very content with their lot in  life [or at least must have been able to separate the wheat from the chaff].    It became a bit of an inside/family joke (?) in that if/when we had a choice/decision to make, I'd often pose: "What would Max and Doris do?" 

One of our daughters had this made up for me:

Too late to "edit" ^^: The word "humble" has popped into my noggin.

I think your constitution words it nicely: the pursuit of happiness. How successful is one in that? A happy person that made sure to be happy as long as possible is a really successful person to me. Having a billion or two may aid in that but not necessarily so. If there is no music involved, I wouldn't be happy.

Brother Dave Gardner said "success is gettin' what you want and happiness is wantin' what you get. I always liked that.

I think success would be having a happy marriage, raising kids who turned out to be law abiding, decent, hard working citizens and staying healthy throughout your lifetime, being out of debt and having enough in savings/retirement funds to last through your lifetime.

I don't think being wealthy moneywise is necessarily a sign of success. I guess it's what you consider successful for you personally.

Success is separate from wealth or happiness, imo, success means that you accomplished what you set out to do. I set out to not be like my father in specific matters, and I succeeded in that. Which means that I never did and never will achieve his financial success, but remain happily married to one woman for life and nobody who ever engaged in business with me ever regretted it. I have never needed to duck a customer or vendor or employee or creditor and all of the above regretted my retiring. Small potatoes to most, but it was important to me as a young man starting out and it's still important to me today.

Waking up healthy in the morning ready to enjoy another day of retirement w/ my forever beautiful wife .

Success for me is being able to work with and help young people (kids) in preparing them for their future. I have devoted my life to helping youth as a High School English teacher, an elementary school special needs teacher, and a wrestling coach. Even now in retirement I continue to work with young people by teaching the banjo to kids in the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program here in Townsend. My greatest reward for a career well spent is when former students contact me and tell me how I have helped and influenced them is several aspects of their lives.
Robert

Success is in the eye of the mortgage holder.

There's a good song about that = "Satisfied Mind." I got there with a lot of dust and turmoil in the middle.

if you are healthy , happy and comfortable, i would say you have been very successful !

Health, Family, Friends, Experiences, Toys, and a dump truck load of money……………..
Not necessarily in that order!!! LOL
Slammer!!!

I recently saw an interview with Tim Tebow and he talked about the difference between success and significance. If I recall correctly success can be measured by money where significance is measured more by what many of you have expressed here, not necessarily meaning the ordinary definition of significance, but rather the quality of being worthy of having notable worth or influence and purpose. It could be within your family, circle of friends, or much wider.

To me, other than having an attitude of gratitude, success is having everything I need and some of what I want, without depending on anyone or anything to do both.
THAT'S freedom.

quote:

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Originally posted by BanjoLink

I recently saw an interview with Tim Tebow and he talked about the difference between success and significance. If I recall correctly success can be measured by money where significance is measured more by what many of you have expressed here, not necessarily meaning the ordinary definition of significance, but rather the quality of being worthy of having notable worth or influence and purpose.

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Can success only be measured by money according to this (to me unknown) person? I would disagree because I am sure it is a success to e.g. complete a marathon even if it doesn't pay me anything because I am only half as fast as the winner. I would also disagree that completing a marathon in four hours were significant, at least not to anyone but me.

quote:

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Originally posted by phb

quote:

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Originally posted by BanjoLink

I recently saw an interview with Tim Tebow and he talked about the difference between success and significance. If I recall correctly success can be measured by money where significance is measured more by what many of you have expressed here, not necessarily meaning the ordinary definition of significance, but rather the quality of being worthy of having notable worth or influence and purpose.

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Can success only be measured by money according to this (to me unknown) person? I would disagree because I am sure it is a success to e.g. complete a marathon even if it doesn't pay me anything because I am only half as fast as the winner. I would also disagree that completing a marathon in four hours were significant, at least not to anyone but me.

 

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Yes, I believe success can come in a lot of different ways than just money ..... money maybe being the least important.  From you post it almost seems that "success" is more attributable as to what it does for you .... i.e. completing a marathon, where significance is more directed toward the impact it has toward other than yourself.  I may be splitting hairs.  There certainly there are very significant people who never have much success monetarily who have had huge impacts on their family, or friends, or community, state, country, and many very successful people who may not have had a great significance on anyone.

I attended two packed to the rafters church funeral services - in large churches. The first was for a man who was a devoted member of his community, a coach and, apparently, all-around good guy. The second was for a member of a quite prominent, wealthy family here. I didn't know all the details at the time, but the first died of medical causes, with family in attendance, while the second ... she jumped from the roof of a downtown parking garage. Wealthy, influential ... did that define success?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAGKpoVFbmw

Teaching chose me. Dad worked in Big Business and I never wanted that. But I'll be the first to admit that luck has been a big part of any "success" I've had. I was supposed to die at three months premature. Then I had great parents. Those two are real successes. And they planted the concept that you also have to do more than just live. You also have to serve.

Paul R : Hah, I was thinking "Richard Cory" all through this and the other thread!

I once heard an old rail say…”Good health is as good as GOLD”! I never appreciated or understood that until the last couple of years.

So I guess good health could be considered wealth.

Saw this a while back and it's been one of those videos I notice myself mentioning in conversation quite often. I think it's worth a look if you have a few minutes to spare.

What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness

quote:

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Originally posted by maxmax

Saw this a while back and it's been one of those videos I notice myself mentioning in conversation quite often. I think it's worth a look if you have a few minutes to spare.

 

What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness

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Max, that's a superb video introducing the Harvard study. As we've been saying all along...it's not money and it's not work that determine our health and well-being. An over-focus on money and work is actually detrimental to our health and well-being.  

I think this old gospel song answers all the questions. We sing this song every week at weekly gospel sing. It is the favorite song of one of attendees who is 91 years young and an inspiration to all of us.

youtube.com/watch?v=POHRUVpuF54