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Definition of success

Do you think you are successful? That was the question posed to me and four other community members last Friday afternoon at the Lyman High School home economics room.

Students in Family and Consumer Sciences II class were studying the national best selling book, ‘Teenagers, preparing for the real world’ written by Chad Foster. The class invited five local business people to form a panel to discuss career success.

Do you think you are successful? In reality, it’s a question I just haven’t spent much time considering until I was asked to be part of the panel. Thankfully, I was given a copy of the students questions to study before the class. As I read through them I paused to give thought to the question above and a few others. Did you always know what you wanted to be when you grew up? Did you have goals? Did you reach them when you intended to? Did you have a mentor?

Like many others I’ve been too busy with day to day life to give much thought to these type of questions.

Success can be considered in so many different ways. What kind of success are we talking about, career success, personal relationship success, or financial success?

I believe to measure true success all aspects of life must be considered. Would you really be successful if you had a great job but no close friends or loved ones to share your life with. Or if you had a well-paid job in a big city and hated both your job and city life.

Foster’s book, at just 100 pages, is packed with insightful information beneficial to teens trying to decide their future. And, also for adults who are still trying to decide what they want to be when they grow up.

How do you know when you reach success? According to Foster, success is a journey, not a destination.

While I have been on the journey longer than the Family and Consumer Science II class members, after participating in their panel discussion, I’d say they have a good start on their own journey to success.

I wish them well.