If someone wrote a manual on how to live life and succeed, and it actually transformed how people live and make decisions, that writer would be a billionaire and everyone would be happy. However, that’s not likely to happen because there is one thing inherent to every person on earth, and that is they are all unique with different backgrounds, beliefs and strengths.
People also gauge success differently. For some people, money means success, while others gauge it by happiness. Across most cultures, here are five areas nearly everyone can agree are measures of success.
1. Your Ability to Support Yourself
At some point, everyone relies on someone else to support them. Mainly, that would be when they are children. The ultimate goal for children is that they one day leave the nest to head out on their own.
This financial independence usually arrives with little celebration or notice. However, it is a big deal. If you have the ability to support yourself, you’ve proven the possibilities for you are limitless. You were able to do it because you believed in yourself. Never let that belief go.
2. Your Children Moved Away
On the opposite side of that coin, imagine how your parents feel. They made it, too! And you didn’t break. Raising children to go out into the world and support themselves should make any parent proud. Obviously, they believed in you, too. Just as you believe or will believe in your own children someday.
3. Your Happiness
Yes, your happiness is a measure of success. If you’ve got all the money in the world but aren’t happy, somewhere along the way you’ve done something wrong. Maybe you forgot to enjoy the small things. Maybe you didn’t discover what was most important to you.
Happiness comes for many people who work minimum wage jobs. They’ve accepted that money doesn’t buy happiness. Perhaps what makes them happy is spending time with their family, or on a hobby in which they are passionate about.
Happiness is without a doubt the most important success you can achieve; yet, people often fail to accept this fact.
4. The Happiness of Your Own Children
Believe it or not, it doesn’t take much to make children happy. The greatest gift you can give your children is your attention. Children who have attentive parents are less likely to be taken advantage of, and they have better mental health. This is because they never have to question whether or not they are loved.
An unhappy child may have the most expensive clothes and electronics, but would likely trade all that to have someone spend time with him or her. When people see your children are happy, they know you are a successful parent.
5. The Care You Give Your Home
If home is where the heart is, then the state of your home is reflective of your heart. You don’t have to live in a mansion. You can live in a mobile home and have a beautiful home. It’s how you care for your home that reflects your success. A happy home is a lovely home. Taking pride in where you live not only makes you feel better, it’s a reflection on your as a person.
Every person has their own ideas of success, so you may or may not agree with the areas pointed out here. However, if you take time to think about what success means to you, you’ll have a clear understanding of your values, and the ability to map out a path for how to get there. So, what does success mean to you?