To me, being successful means...
Showing up to something you love and making the world a bit of a better place.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to think it was more about money and material things, but now I think your success in life has a lot more to do with following your inner voice.
To me, being successful means...
Actually doing what you want to do, and doing it well
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to care more about society's version of success. Which usually involves earning lots of money or doing something prestigious
To me, being successful means...
Freedom to realize potential, realize potential, follow the desires of your hear.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Earlier in life it was attached to monetary / professional wins.
To me, being successful means...
being happy, and not living under a bridge. Optional: leaving the world a better place than I found it in some small way.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Read MoreTo me, being successful means...
A loving family, rewarding work and a comfortable existence.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Used to be all about money.
To me, being successful means...
It means being happy and living your life the way you best see fit.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to think it meant having money and now I understand that money has nothing to do with it. If you aren’t happy then what’s the point of the money?
To me, being successful means...
Finishing what you start.
My definition of success has not changed over time.
Read MoreTo me, being successful means...
Feeling fulfilled with the decisions you have made to have gotten to where you are today.
My definition of success has changed over time.
It used to be about money and title.
To me, being successful means...
Having a good career in Customer Service or being a Customer Service Representative in Call centers.
My definition of success has not changed over time.
Read MoreTo me, being successful means...
Being a content, self supporting participating member of society.
My definition of success has changed over time.
It’s not about money or material possessions. But it is about relationships and experiences. Having said that I do agree with the study that establishes “happiness” requires a certain minimal income level ($75k for a family of four); beyond which the “happiness” arc flattens out.
Attended high school in the
1990s
Overall high school experience
6/10
Grades in high school
A's and B's
Favorite subjects
English, History / Social Studies, Science
Struggled with...
Visual arts (issues with dexterity) computer science (hard to think in a linear way)
Favorite extracurricular
Community Service / Social Activism
Attended college / university at
Stanford
Majored in
Biopsychology
Post-graduate education or training
Masters of arts in general psychology
Places lived in US
California
Current occupations / past occupations
Research, caregiving, volunteer tutor
Industries I've worked in
Nonprofit
Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
Yes
Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
In 9 years and 11 mos it will. Upon retirement I will embark unto a second career.
“Marriage. I learned compassion, understanding from multiple perspectives and forgiveness. I learned that love is a give and take.”
To me, being successful means...
contentment with life, past, present, and future.
My definition of success has changed over time.
It shifted from a superficial worldview to one that was deeper and richer.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Marriage. I learned compassion, understanding from multiple perspectives and forgiveness. I learned that love is a give and take.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
I regret not relying on my own intuition more when making decisions.
An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
Trumps presidency. It seems that after that everything went downhill in politics.
Lake lagunita
To me, being successful means...
creating an intentional community of people who support each other, growing into relationships in every way. It is truly not about your own success.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I slowly learned that it's not about the popularity, the brand, the namesake...
To me, being successful means...
finding meaning in the way I live my life, and the blessing of experiencing a wide range of positive emotions along the way.
My definition of success has changed over time.
It's not about money and prestige anymore.
To me, being successful means...
being a happy and productive citizen of the world.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to think success was dictated by the brand names that made it onto your resume. Letting go of those expectations for myself was the most productive decision I have ever made.
To me, being successful means...
being happy and confident in myself. having positive relationships with people who love me as much as I love them.
My definition of success has not changed over time.
Read MoreTo me, being successful means...
Being in an industry that you as passionate about and excited to be involved in.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Growing up in Palo Alto, I associated success with money. Now I associate it with happiness. If you are getting up for a job you hate everyday, where you are uninspired, what is the point? What I do literally gives me butterflies in my stomach. I may not be making money yet, but that's not my first priority. I live for it.
To me, being successful means...
Happy. Creative fulfillment.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Read MoreTo me, being successful means...
Pursuing a life that makes me happy. Having balance with my work life, social life, and relationship with myself. Being able to afford my independence.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to think success was based on more tangible identifiers. Such as my degree, my car, my job status, whether I was still asking my mom for money. Now I look at it in a broader more wholistic lens.
To me, being successful means...
Pushing myself to learn more every day, to be a better person every day, to enjoy every moment as much as I possibly can. It means not wasting the precious time I have in my life, on making a difference in the world as much as I can.
My definition of success has changed over time.
When I was in high school I thought there was a rigid path to success. That the only way I could succeed was by getting the right grades, doing the right things and picking the right career. As I got older, I realized that there are many different paths to the same place. I am lucky to have had the opportunities that Palo Alto afforded me, to have gained the work ethic that I did there. But it wasn't my grades that defined me, it was my experiences.
This is a collection of anonymous life and career stories from Palo Alto alumni for everyone. They shatter the myth that there is only one path to success.
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