2nd Entry

Success

What is success? How is success classified? Is the billionaire with the cool car and the nice house but no true friends really the most successful? Or is it rather the man who spends more time with family and takes time out of his day to enjoy himself? I would suggest the second man is the more successful of the two. The definition of success according to Merriam Webster’s dictionary is “the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame.” This definition holds true in many instances, but there are also plenty of examples where this definition has been contrary to what really happens. Society has led us to believe now that the fastest runner or the richest person or the most obedient student is the most successful. This wide-spread belief is quite mistaken. True success is always about the character of the person and has no correlation to financial situation, athletic ability, or obedience. Rather, success is correlated to hard work and pushing oneself to be the best he can be. While there are many prime examples of people with financial success, athletic success, or academic success being truly successful, these achievements of material wealth should not define what success really is.

            Financial success is a great achievement, especially in the society we live in today. Wealthy people have undeniably found great success in selling their product or their services to others, but this does not mean they are truly successful. Many rich celebrities have tarnished their reputation through poor behavior, showing that money does not always mean success. Britney Spears is a perfect example of wealth not defining success. Spears achieved great fame as a teenager and was considered one of the greatest artists of the mid-2000’s. Towards the middle of her career, Spears became the victim of insults and ridicule because of her constant legal misconduct and poor guidance. Spears divorced her second husband and received joint custody of her children, only to lose her custody a year later due to a suspected drug problem. Spears is the modern day epitome of having financial success but still not being successful because of her poor morals. However, other individuals make the best of their wealth by using it to benefit others. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, donates much of what he earns to charities. In 2013, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation donated 3.6 billion dollars to charities around the world according to their website. He is truly successful in his life because he has found something greater than just financial success in being charitable. Our society defines financial success as the greatest of achievements, but if a person resorts to poor measure and poor behavior to achieve this accomplishment, then he has not found the real sense of success.

            Athletic success is another achievement in society that people confuse for the greatest success one can achieve. Professional athletes are looked up to by our society, and their actions are made public by the media. As a result, these athletes are paid quite substantially. Many make up to tens of millions of dollars a year. Pro athletes have worked hard their whole lives to make it to the top, but it seems many athletes are still searching for something greater than being the best. Tiger Woods was the greatest young golfer of his generation. By late 2009 he was on track to set many PGA tour records, and even be considered one of the few golf “legends.” Woods was feared by his opponents in because of his ability to perform in nearly every tournament. Right at the peak of his career, Tiger Woods was caught in a scandal where he cheated on his wife and crashed his car in a neighbor’s driveway. The situation became worse when they argued publicly, leaving a large stain on Woods’ reputation as a great golfer. A quote that brings light to Woods’ situation is famous scientist Albert Einstein’s quote, “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” Einstein explains that having moral values and being a good person triumphs success every time. Tiger Woods let fame get to him, and he not only threw away his golf career, but also his family and friends. Bubba Watson has ninety-nine fewer tournament wins than Woods according to the PGA tour database, but I would suggest that Watson is more successful than Woods for his dedication to his “Bubba Watson Foundation.” Through his use of a pink driver to raise money for his foundation and his ongoing charity work, Bubba Watson has found something greater than winning in giving back to others, making him more successful than Woods, whose reputation was damaged. Many athletes give example that fame and talent are put to waste if the athlete does not show moral strength and good character.

            Another achievement that people tend to misconceive as real success is academic success. People who have made success in the classroom and in their profession have worked very hard for it, and they have been diligent in their work. In society and in school, the student who works the hardest performs the best. This hard work that some undertake may not always be positive. Many people in school and their job over-indulge in their work. They have given up all family time or personal time to ensure they are successful in their job. This is a great example of true success being trumped by society’s false views of success. Christopher Morley, an author in the early-mid 1900s, expressed himself by saying, “There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way.” This concept can be applied to many people living their lives convinced that work should be their priority. The truly successful man is the one who can leave his work and find joy at home with family or hanging out with friends. Academic success is another great achievement muddled with true success; the ability to handle success at work but spend time at home with family.       

Financial success, athletic success, and academic success are all great achievements that get confused with true success. True success is found through achieving goals and meeting expectations of oneself while staying humble along the way and sticking to morals, even after material success is achieved. Our society has us believe the opposite; that material success is what true success really is. The definition of success in the dictionary: “the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame” even shows how material success in our society is falsely classified as true success. The man who spends time with family, enjoys himself during the day, and is happy with himself is the man that is truly successful.