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...
Finding balance, continuing to work toward your priorities -- keep them in sight; your personal well-being should be one of your priorities; learning to know and respect yourself.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Less focused on titles and resume bullets, more focused on well-being and impact on those around me.
To me, being successful means...
Finding out what fulfills you over the long term and then persevering through the obstacles and challenges that will present themselves to you. I say "over the long term" because no matter how much you love something, there will be days, weeks that are challenging.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I thought success was a position, an award, an accolade or some other quantifiable thing. Now, I believe that kind of success also has a large element of luck as well. So therein lies the question, is a success that depends on luck really success at all? I'd argue not. Success is tied to your motivations, desires, effort, work, and resiliency. Therefore, success is more about finding a passion and driving forward through obstacles.
To me, being successful means...
Feeling proud of the work I have done and always making the morally correct choice--being the better person even when it's easy not to.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to define success as accomplishments--tangible things I could point to. It turned out once I accomplished something I was most proud of all the hard work that had gotten me there, not of the accomplishment itself.
To me, being successful means...
Feeling inspired and surrounded by love and support. If I can lay down at the end of every day and know that I am following my heart, however hard the journey, then my life is a success.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Growing up, in Palo Alto, especially, I really thought that the only positive or desired future was one with wealth, and even some amount of fame. I didn't see another option for happiness.
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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Black and white photos on this site courtesy of Palo Alto Historical Association. All other photos taken by us. Website by us.
