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How do YOU measure success/failure in life?

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Tyler Durden

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24 December 2010
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This question has been floating around in my head the last few days. I think a lot (if not most) people measure success by the amount of money they have/earn. Some measure it by how happy they are. Some use their children/family life as a measure.

So I'm curious, how do YOU measure success or failure in your life? I mean, what would have to happen for you to call your life a success? A failure? Or perhaps there is no such thing as success/failure in life?
 
Relationships then health self confidence money down the list, if you're happy with what you've got you're a wealthy person.
 

Its certainly completely unrelated to material wealth for me, i measure a person's success by their place in the community, their ability as a parent and their relationships.

I just buried one of my best mates, dead at 57, 5 weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. I saw the whole town turn out for a living wake a few days before he died, the whole town turn out for his funeral and wake the following weekend. I watched his 4 sons demonstrate and articulate their love for their dad in an incredibly mature way, i watched his wife show love and compassion, i saw his political adversaries line up to talk about his life and his humour and selfless life of helping others.

John was one of the most successful people I have ever met, I have no idea as to his material wealth, but he was a working man and I dont think he was wealthy in the common understanding of the word.

He always acted to help and support others and despite his strong political activism, a life of active unionism on the shop floor, and his opinionated and heartfelt worldview of social justice, he was loved by everyone from the highest of management to the crib room cleaner, by his peers as well as his political opponents.

I hope I end up being half as successful as John!
 
That's easy,
I measure success with family,when I have them around I feel content and happy,
If for some reason I come home and they aren't there I feel poor and miserable and feel I am missing something.
If I travel overseas without them I couldn't imagine me being happy without them and I would give all my worth to keep them safe if I needed to.
Family is the secret to success,
No amount of money would replace them when you are by yourself.
 
I think everyone is different, but if you reach a point in your life where you can think to youself "I've achieved all the goals I set for myself" then you feel content.
However it isn't long before you are setting new goals, so the feeling is fleeting.
 
galumay said:
I hope I end up being half as successful as John!
Click to expand...

Your experience mirrors mine when I lost one of my best mates to cancer in 06'

He was widely respected and loved by those closest to him , a great intellect he is missed more as time goes by.
 
For me its all about the goals...no not kicking the footy...

One goal at a time...while making sure to enjoy every minute of this awesome life!

CanOz
 

Vale John Keogh.

Raised some great sons.

Just a pity he died in such agony.
 
For me it is actually achieving something that does not arise by default and which requires significant effort to accomplish.

A high level of physical fitness and health.

Relationships.

Good parenting.

Business or career success above the average.

Intellectual, artistic, sporting etc achievements.

Basically anything that requires that much effort be expended and where many will fail simply because they don't have the determination to succeed.
 
Once, I had a definition of success which did not include $

But foolishly I lost it!


"Money is not a good measure of success, but you can count it!", Robert Holmes à Court
 
I found this quote a long time ago and it sums up what success means to me perfectly!

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
Winston Churchill
 
Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgement. I measure success in my life by the extent to which I have moved from making bad judgements to good judgements as I am able to ascertain at a given point in time of my life.
 

IMO, there's no more direct or powerful way to define success than this: overcoming all your fears. If there's no fear of loss, then gain happens. If there's no fear of loneliness, then company happens. If there's no fear of rejection, then acceptance happens. And if you're good enough, eventually...there's no fear of death, and then complete freedom and ecstasy happens (so they say). This is what your namesake Tyler Durden was driving at in Fight Club. I'm assuming you've seen the movie...so what did you get from it?

I'm assuming by the way you pose all these questions about money, that you must mix with some people in your work who are of questionable character (deceitful, cunning, manipulative). You think that to become rich you have to be like them, but not all wealth is achieved that way. The majority of it is, sure, but not all.
 
I hope not all young people get too hung up on the money element. While maintaining a certain standard of living is important, if you focused only on becoming rich, some day you may be rich with money but poor with life experience...

To me the experience, the journey, are so much a part of the rewards....
 
How much Time I have that is mine to spend however I like.
 
Most people without money think the measure of success is having money. I don't know many people with money who measure their life by their bank balance. As Rene Rivkin used to say, "money doesn't buy happiness, it just buys a better form of unhappiness".
 
Definitely agree with the last 2 posts!

I'm in my early 20's so my opinion if this may change but I would have to say currently success if having the funds to make the difference we want wether it be family or community and to give our family the best chance at the game of life. That is my thoughts anyway, I don't think there is a $ amount, just enough to be content.

Also on failure, I don't think it is a bad thing. Failure in life to me would be when you are doing anything with your life.
 
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