Truly this was an eye opener. The people we refer to as poor in a 1st world country still have better living conditions than those who are relatively ‘rich’ in a 3rd world country.
I think I don’t have an answer to this.
Success is something that you get on accomplishing a goal or becoming something that you always wanted to be. But does the quest for success end with that? I think, no.
Success for me is a journey rather than a destination. When I was in school I thought I’d be successful once I got a job. Now I have a job but I think I need to make more money to have the kind of lifestyle that I want. I am sure by the time I’ll get rich, my desires and goals will change.
I read some of the very good answers here on this thread, especially by @tommor and I am curious to know if he thinks himself successful enough to sit back and relax?
I think with every goal one achieved there’s another goal waiting to be conquered.
So for me, success is about being content with what I have right here, right now and not something that I’ll achieve in future.
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Not sitting back by any means. The world is so big and interesting and strange there’s always something new to get involved in. Challenges and targets are always good.
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Success to me is being fulfilled in your life with your relationships, your job, and your hobbies and creating a balance that makes you happy over time
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Much success in life is driven by how you deal with the bad things that happen, or the tough things you don’t want to do but must do.
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I do not want to work for anyone else nor do I want my husband to have to. I want us to have our own businesses, he is a welder and wants to open a welding shop, I am into art and have a few different ideas. My goal is to eventually be so successful that we could take good care of our employees, offering things like Christmas bonuses, great health insurance, etc.
Also to be debt free.
Finally, to have something meaningful to leave behind for our children. Businesses for them to take over, real estate for them to sell, a combination of things. I want them to learn work ethic, but also want to see them enjoy life and have the ability to travel without the stress that most of us have been through.
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My idea of success is to live a debt-free life. I don’t want mansions or millions of dollars in my account. I want a decent job to provide for my family, good health for my family, and a strong bond. Success is not defined by how much money you have in your bank account, but by how happy you and your family are together. But, I guess the definition varies from person to person.
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I love your reply. Enjoying the process and living in the moment is surely a success. I do the same because the future gives me anxiety, while the past gives me guilt and depression.while present is what we have in the moment. The journey is much more meaningful than the final destination for me as well 
True! Attaining a goal should never result in early retirement. This May seem childish but there is a dialogue from a Disney movie that stayed with me.
I think we can always find a new goal to work for once we are tick off one thing from our bucket list
Being able to afford myself freedom of time before I am 65 years old.
That’s simple and straight to the point Having healthy relationships is very important in life as I have seen many successful people struggling to deal with the loneliness and void in their lives. This relationship is not just others but also with ourselves. Self love and acceptance is an integral part of success for me. The happiest person in the world would be the one who can accept themselves from within and enjoy their own company.
Agreed! Life is not fair for the most part and most of our life goals and ambitions are ways to find solutions for the problems we face in our life.
I thought this old story might be relevant -
A poor fisherman was sitting on the dock, just watching the waves go in and out. A wealthy businessman passed by and asked him what he was doing. The poor fisherman replied that he had caught enough fish for the day so he was just watching the waves go in and out.
Hearing this, the rich man got angry and said, “But that’s a waste of time. Why don’t you catch some more fish before it gets dark?”
Fisherman: Why do I want more fish?
Businessman: Well, you could catch more fish, sell them and earn more money, and buy a bigger boat.
Fisherman: Why do I want a bigger boat?
Businessman: Well, you could go fishing in deeper waters and catch even more fish and earn even more money.
Fisherman: Why do I need more money?
Businessman: Well, you could buy more boats and employ other fishermen to work for you and earn even more money.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could become as rich and successful as me.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could then enjoy your life peacefully and you could go fishing any day you want.
Fisherman: Well what do you think I’m doing right now?
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That’s great! All parents try to do something for kids so that their life would be easier than ours Leaving behind something valuable for future generations is a way to live beyond our time as they will become a memory that stays even when we won’t be here anymore.
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Being debt-free is one of my goals too! And ofcourse family comes before anything else
That’s what I believe too! If something stops you from being ambitious then that’s not success. Success has no end-point!
Success would be to get to a ripe old age and reflect on life with no or too many regrets
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Wonder if you would have posted this at 21
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At 21 I was very lazy and hadn’t found a reason to even try to be good at anything.
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That’s probably more common than uncommon
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