Make sure your success is yours

We seem to know what success looks like - career position, house, car, travel, latest gadgets, etc. But the reality is, success is not the same for everyone else. And it meant not to be the same, really.

Usually in reunions, people will treat you according to what you have become. If you ended up to be a CEO, people will have so much interest in you. Not to mention anymore the other hand. It seems that success is boxed into these corporate-hierarchy-status imageries. Choice of course in college is generally based on the occupation/work that yields the highest monetary return. People are afraid to jump off and transition to their true passions because society had set what "success" should mean to them.

A certain course in college became so trendy maybe because of a promise of better returns. It has many screening until completion. When you are not able to pass a grade, you will not be admitted in the course and you can shift to other related courses within that department so your subjects can be credited and you can still graduate on time. A normal thinking would be is that other courses in the department are inferior than that trendy course. Many years had passed, the trendy course was able to admit a lot of graduates but for the promise of returns, the world went 180 degree turn and seem to favor the other courses.

All work may be equal and we cannot use one (our) yardstick to measure success of others because it was not meant that way. One man's success may be to become a full-time mom to her children amidst corporate success. Others, to become a freelancer, a priest/church worker, military nurse, writer, etc. Or maybe to remain in the same position despite an offer for promotion to spend more time with family and personal interests.

We are empowered and we are obliged to ourselves to pursue our passions. Because if not, no one will ever do our part in this life. It is a sad thing to be successful to everyone else but not to ourselves.

Whatever our definition of success, it is important to make sure that it is ours and not theirs. If you are in the season of choosing, a good dose of courage (even higher!) is needed as you step out from society's boat to the seas of endless possibilities.