Left for six months and never came back

/ Mitchell Park Library/

To me, being successful means...
Being able to take pride in what you've made of your life.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Although the core of my own idea of success hasn't changed, it has been a difficult and continuing struggle to keep my sense of accomplishment separate from parental expectations. You'd think at 40 it would be easier to look your parents in the eye and not be sorry for having chosen a path that doesn't involve marrying a person wealthy by inheritance or profession in order to secure a pampered and indolent life for oneself and one's offspring, but...in my experience, parents don't change. I had to build yourself the protective space I needed to keep myself from wishing I had never been born. 

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Pomona College, Medical Student, Massachusetts

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To me, being successful means...
Being happy and as healthy as possible, both physically and mentally. Being conscious of all moments, good or bad, and making sure you're shaping them the way you want to to the best of your ability; not taking your life or your abilities for granted. Doing something that impacts other people positively, even if it's in a small way.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I admittedly used to be obsessed with academic success-- getting As, 100s, being seen as a "perfect" student.

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Turns out I'm actually good at math.

/ Bay City Coffee/

To me, being successful means...
Doing something that is just the right amount of challenging, fulfilling and fun which also helps make the world a better place. If you're going for power, first ask yourself why you want it.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I don't think I started off my education with an idea of success at all. Certainly in college it was more about getting good grades and advancing with little thought to the value of what I was doing. 

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Following Whispers of My Heart

/ Stanford Shopping Center/

To me, being successful means...
Acting in a way that was true to my values. That meant for me, dropping out of UC Berkeley half way through my first quarter of my senior year, and travelling....For me, being successful means following my heart...

My definition of success has not changed over time. 
Sometimes I do think I could have been more financially successful if I had been more traditional in my career choices, but I know I would not have been as satisfied with my life.

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