Redefining Success
In the era of a competitive world
Work hard lest you will not be successful — A sentence I have often heard since childhood.
But as I continue to grow older, I find myself questioning the definition of this very term.
A Little Preface
I am a lawyer based in India. After finishing my undergrad, l wanted to do my postgraduation. For the past year, I studied hard to get into one of the government law colleges in my country, known as National Law Universities (NLUs) and was thankfully able to secure a seat. However, I felt unhappy. Because it was a lower-ranked university. People said that if I didn’t get into one of the top ones, I wouldn’t be ‘successful’.
A lot of anxiousness and stress, followed by a little retrospection, made me write this blog today.
What is success?
Most people will define it based on parameters that are set by the society which are driven by certain preconceived notions.
For example:
1) If you get into an Ivy League College, then you are successful.
2) If you can secure a high-paying job for yourself in a top-notch company by the age of 25, then you are successful.
3) If you have a penthouse and swanky cars, then you are successful.
4) If you are popular, then you are successful.
But why do we have to be successful?
To be happy and be regarded in the society.
Ironically not all ‘successful’ people are happy or admired by others. There are a lot of famous people alive who have battled or are battling depression. Similarly, several well-known folks around the world are despised by many.
Happiness is a state of mind while respect that people have for others, is a very subjective and sensitive notion that differs from person to person based on their values and beliefs.
Hence, it’s time that we change the perception of success.
Life in its entirety is a gamble of hits and misses. No matter how much we try, we will all miss out on something. Not everyone can do things as per society’s dictations, to be termed as ‘successful’. You might have carved a solid career for yourself by the age of thirty, but your personal life is a dud or vice versa. Amusingly this is life, and this is how it works.
We must stop looking at success from the superficial level and redefine it in a way that allows us to sustain ourselves in the long run without being burned out.
In a highly competitive era, the only success that we should aim for is to be able to have mental peace and tranquility, something I find most people, including myself, lacking. Acceptance of circumstances as they are and liberation from unnecessary worry is the key. Interestingly the day we wholeheartedly embrace our life situations and try to make the most out of it is the day we will be successful in its real sense. Inner peace and serenity will automatically make way for greater things like:
1)Better decision making
2)Harmonious relationships and
3)Greater enjoyment of life
Here are ways in which you can cultivate inner peace:
Work on yourself — Instead of comparing yourself with others, try honing your skills and overcoming your flaws. Look at your fellow beings as inspirations and not as competition.
Do not take advice from people — Most of the time, you will end up getting confused and anxious.
Turn a deaf ear to what others have to say — Your life, your rules, and your way.
Pay attention to your health — Try cutting off junk food and sugar and keep yourself hydrated. Try exercising and going for walks.
Remember:
Success is not the cue to happiness. It’s always the other way round.
Before ending, I want to let you all know that my mother has been a major inspiration behind writing today’s blog. She teaches English in a local school and has been in this profession for the last twenty-one years. Every time I asked her why she never tried for the best educational institutions in the city that have better pay and recognition, she always had one answer — ‘This place gives me peace and I am content with my life’. I never understood her reasoning before, but perhaps now I do.
