“Am I?” I thought.
Success is different for everyone, I guess.
I’ve never wanted to work in an office in a high rise building with views of the City. I did a short stint when I was nannying. The little boy I was looking after went to school so I went to work at the family business. I caught the ferry to work with all the other people wearing black. Nobody seemed to smile and they all seemed in a rush. The days went by so sloooowly. I knew that wasn’t what I wanted.
Success to me isn’t about riches and fancy cars {although they would be nice}. When I think about success this is the picture painted in my head: It’s a house with a backyard with grass with room for a dog {mine currently has pavers and room for something as small as a mouse}, with the ocean walking distance away. It’s laughing with my husband and getting butterflies when he comes home from work. It’s having a healthy daughter who is happy and loves me back. It’s hopefully more children in the future. It’s having a job that I wake up and enjoy doing. It’s about nurturing my creative side. It’s about having enough money that I don’t have to worry too much when it’s coming in. It’s loving myself, faults and all.
I’d love to know what success looks like for you. Is it some far off dream, or something you can reach? Do you know exactly what it looks like, or did you, like me, have to have a good hard think about it?
You and I have the same view of success. Here's to both of us having it. xxx
I've been thinking about this lately too. I used to think success was 'having it all'- a fantastic career and a beautiful family. I've come to realise that in fact I'd prefer not to try and 'have it all' and that success to me is actually quite similar to your idea. A happy home and family with space for me to be 'me'.
I actually just did a blog post about the topic:http://themonsterandme.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/different-paths/
xx Laura
I do the inner city working-in-an-office thing, but it isn't success to me.
I'm about to cut back to do a 4-day week so I can spend some time writing and blogging, which is something I enjoy.
It's scary as I'm single and have a hefty mortgage… but am in my 40s so can't wait forever!
Success for me is when someone might read a blog post and leave a comment saying that the post speaks to them, or they comment on my writing etc.
Deb
you have pretty much summed things up for me too (except the more children bit, 4 is enough) and the truth is right now I am living it and loving it! after our recent move back to the city after 12 years of mining town living I am enjoying my 3 day a week city job, it draws on so much of my experience in my career to date…at the end of the day I'm happy if I feel successful in my own eyes, I don't need anyone elses pats on the back to know it…and that, in itself, makes me successful. love the dress lacey is wearing, one of my girls has is too 🙂 Tatum xx
I think my idea & vision of 'my' success keeps changing depending on the stage of life I'm in. When I was 19…success was to be a school teacher, marry my soul mate, buy a house, enjoy life, bring a child/ren into the world. Now, at 29, as I've slowly ticked things off that list….so now the goal posts have moved to cater for more dreams & a different phase of my life. I guess success for me now is to be happy in my decisions, stay in love with my husband, smother my kids with love, experiences & education, travel a little & love my job….whether its teaching, working from home, being a mum or trying out a new career….financial freedom would be a bonus….not dripping in money….but financially settled!
And yes…I had to think hard about it too Chantelle 🙂
xx
Success is doing a job that you don't mind getting out of bed for, you're appreciated and praised when it counts and it pays the bills. I feel that I'm successful in my career as an office manager currently sitting in an office with a view of the swan river 🙂 But I still want to push myself further and think that I could be more successful – perhaps by getting a bigger pay pack!
Hey Chantelle, success for me is right now, where I am.
Lots of travelling with my man, kids now 25, 24 and 20. They are studying, working, making good plans for their future. They are happy in life, and healthy.
I am able to make choices that may not have been possible a few years ago.
I am about to hit 50 this year, and looking forward to life like never before.
And loving every moment of it.
Success is doing something you love, & then being paid to do it.
That used to be nursing for me, but lately I'm itching for something more.
More creative.
Success is that photo of your little girl up there, wading through water, happy 🙂
I think success, like happiness, is a journey. I don't imagine you get to a point, pat yourself on the back and say “well done me, I'm a success, I can pull up stumps forever more”. There must be levels of success that you try to reach and something as simple as having a shower when you are mum to a newborn can be considered one! The health of those I love, having a roof over my head, feeling fulfilled – that is success for me x
Success for me is about finding what makes me happy, and attaining that happiness 🙂
Ya know, I like the way you think! sending you hugs filled with success and a little girlie glitter 🙂 Michelle from http://www.mommyspinkielipgloss.blogspot.com
Beautiful post.
To me, success is giggles from my girls, hearing I love you {this much!}, family cuddles, holding my hubby close at night. Success is being able to smile when I see my reflection, and finding there's calm in my heart. Success is doing what I love, and being recognised for it. Success is here each day. But I needed the reminder. Thank you. Elisa xx
My idea of success has changed a lot over the years – these days it sounds much like your idea… 😉
Success for me is the same as you, and I feel that at 49 I have achieved most of it, I am where I want to be at this stage in my life. I love my family, enjoy my part-time job, live in a nice house, have enough friends, and am happy! What more could one want?
Success for me is being able to provide a roof over my son's head and keeping him safe, warm, fed and loved.
Im a newly single mum so I feel even more driven to be financially independant and to be able to give him what he needs and some of what he wants.
I'm about to take the next step in my career and I know I will be successful because I dont give up.
I'm starting to come to the realization that success isn't what I thought it was. I put so much pressure on myself to have a greate career, car and house, but none of that really matters. Great blog post!
inner satisfaction of achieving one's goals!
inner happiness… being happy – about: what you do with your day/time/work, how you perceive things, positiveness, how you treat people! Being healthy, emotionally weathly, being a good role model
Hmmm… to me it's having close family and friends and being happy and healthy. As long as I've got that I can do so much more and work towards other things in life 🙂
my idea of success has changed over the last few years. it used to be about having a baby, growing a family, having everything we need and just being happy.
now though, it's about Guv & i being together, being happy and no stress. we are actively paying down debt this year to reduce our outgoings. then we are building up the nest egg just so we know we have money in the bank. we are downsizing and get rid of “stuff” – it doesn't make you happy having it. we want less of everything, including work hours and stress.
when we are living the simple life, that to us, will be success.
~x~
p.s. i'm sure i'm not alone in thinking this but i do believe Tell that you most certainly ARE successful!!
Your success is beautiful and many of those things I agree with … But my success would be wrapped in balance. Balance between work and home … Suits and sand shoes … Water and wine.
I think I am well on my way to my 'success'. I made my big sea change, and moved to the beach. I married my soul mate last year, and our beautiful daughter is now thriving after being born 2 months early. I guess my next step is our financial situation, at the moment we are on a shoestring, it would be nice to be 'comfortable' and not have to stress about every bill that comes in.
Thanks for sharing Chantelle xx
Many years ago I gave up a career as a classical musician in order to become a teacher, which my partner at the time and I both thought would be the ideal career for a woman who had dreams of being a mother one day. That partner is now my husband (who wears dark suits and works in a city building with a view); I worked as a secondary teacher for a decade; and we have three children, to whom I now devote all of my time.
Many of my friends in the music industry had the opinion that I was bailing on a successful career, almost failing at it, or throwing away a wonderful opportunity. Admittedly, at times I had regrets and felt the same way.
The truth though is that our family now lives in an affluent suburb, we travel often and with our children, for whom I think money has given us the opportunity to enrich their lives through various activities and experiences. As much as I sometimes yearn for my 'creative outlet', it is our regular income (through my husband's 'boring' office job) that enables us to live the way we do. As much as people like to throw around the cliche that 'money can't buy happiness', it certainly helps.
So, although my peers may see me as unsuccessful because I am not posting on Facebook about performances and recordings and instead about my children, I feel successful. And so bloody relieved I'm not worrying about how to make ends meet each week, as many musicians do.
Everybody has a different perspective on success, I think I am like you, simple things, things that leave you feeling content and able to look in the mirror each day and be happy with what is in front and around you.xx
What I thought of as successful even a year ago is not what I would consider successful now.
The new definition includes knowing I have done all I can for my children, particularly in terms of access to services for my sons.
I will consider myself successful in time to come if I have helped make a difference for other families living with ASD's, whether that be through connecting with them online and sharing stories or via advocacy work… I don't even know yet but I know that I will do it.
Turns out success has nothing to do with money and stuff, and everything to do with heart, IMHO.
When I was a student, I took a walk down a side street. It was sunny and in the front garden of an average house was a family sitting on their front lawn in the sun under the shade of a tree.It was dappled and beautiful and swet. I can recall the haze and the kids toys and the front gate. That was what contentment felt like. Then, and now. I yearned to create that feeling. And I think I have, for me, and for my little family.
Success is happiness. It's gaining wisdom from life experiences. Loving someone more than yourself. Listening to the laughter of your children and grandchildren. Being with family. For me it's being with my husband 24/7 and knowing he's as happy as I am. ;D
I'm in love with your version of successes – it is the same as mine. For a long time I believed success was reflected too in my job, home, car, and things I owned. Living in California can easily sway your idea of success too 😉 As I grew into my own woman I found the things that made me happiest were the things that felt most successful — happy home, happy husband, happy children and a healthy, growing artistic and expressive life!
Btw, u are amazing!!!
I love how you spell out success! It is similar to the feeling and ideas I have about it. I had an opportunity to go back to my old time consuming, energy sucking job, and turned it down for this very reason, I don't want to be a success there, I want a family and home, and success and love there.
Thank you for sharing!
*and love here.
Growing up I always thought I would be married with a house and at least 2 kids by the time I was 30. Well I'm now 26, am married to a wonderful man and together we own 4 properties. Unfortunately, we have been unsuccessful having children – I had a miscarriage in November and am finding it hard to recover So success at this point in my life would to bring a beautiful child into this world 🙂
I think what we view as success grows and changes as we do. Thank you for such an insightful post Chantelle xx
Success for me is owning a house on the Gold Coast, having a husband, daughters, being happy and free with the lifestyle I want and having a successful jewellery store.
As it turns out, I have none of that and there is no hope of ever having it in the future, so I guess success for me is not going to be what I want it to be.
Life can really suck for some people.
It might sound a little sucky, but I'm pretty content with my life at the moment and the way things are going.
I'm getting more into my Blog lately though, and would love more people to start reading it (rather than just my friends), so I hope I become successful in that area. I would say that that may be my main goal at the moment.
I think you've summed it up perfectly:) x
I am not sure what success means for me? Gosh that is a good question – will be thinking about that one!
Love what means for you, and yes it sounds like you have found your success (with your Daughter, Hubby and house). It was a great inspirational post.
I think you and I share a pretty similar version of success. There's nothing I can think to add or take away form your list.
Congratulations on all your success lovely lady. The grace that you have will always be rewarded in life, I think. xo
Your definition of success is spot on.
The nicest things in life are not things.
Success is learning to love yourself and finding your own happiness.
Thanks for this post!
i agree, in all points… because these are the same things that come into mind when i think of what success AND contentment in life is all about.
glad to stumble upon your site (because a friend posted abt your photo a day challenge). very inspiring! 🙂