UCLA, Innovation Specialist, Writer and Entertainment Consultant, CA

To me, being successful means...
Freedom to realize potential, realize potential, follow the desires of your hear.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Earlier in life it was attached to monetary / professional wins.

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A winding path from STEM to the arts

To me, being successful means...
spending my time bringing joy, health, reflection, and peace to myself and those around me.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I used to think being successful meant becoming the top of whatever field I chose, and it wasn’t enough unless I became famous and rich. And I only ever thought about it in a career-context, not about love, family, community or anything else.

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Immigrant neuroscientist goes from bakery to farm to grad school

To me, being successful means...
creating an intentional community of people who support each other, growing into relationships in every way. It is truly not about your own success.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I slowly learned that it's not about the popularity, the brand, the namesake...

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how to be happy, despite all expectations

To me, being successful means...
being a happy and productive citizen of the world.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I used to think success was dictated by the brand names that made it onto your resume. Letting go of those expectations for myself was the most productive decision I have ever made.

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Just because you live in Palo Alto, doesn't mean you have to be the next Steve Jobs.

To me, being successful means...
Being in an industry that you as passionate about and excited to be involved in. 

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Growing up in Palo Alto, I associated success with money. Now I associate it with happiness. If you are getting up for a job you hate everyday, where you are uninspired, what is the point? What I do literally gives me butterflies in my stomach. I may not be making money yet, but that's not my first priority. I live for it.

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College sophomore at Northwestern seeking happiness after Palo Alto

To me, being successful means...
being happy. In high school, I was over-competitive, overstressed, overbooked. And, I felt god awful all of the time because I just felt like I had to be the best. Now that I'm in college, I just want to do things that I'm passionate about and that make me happy. But yet, in doing that, I feel like I'm accomplishing far more than I had in high school, even though in high school I was trying much harder.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Obviously, my self-worth is no longer defined by my GPA or my college acceptances. It's refreshing. 

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UC Davis, Attorney, California and China

To me, being successful means...
Being happy with myself and achieving the goals that I have set out for me.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
The realization that personal success and happiness comes through reflection and being exposed to different things in life in order to identify what is truly important.

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Los Angeles Architect Designer

To me, being successful means...
Doing what I love, working hard at it every day, and realizing that I've grown by making mistakes.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I don't associate success with (quick) fame or money, and have found that by just doing what I've described aa my idea of success, have found that the recognition and rewards are coming and feel that they are deserved.

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Grateful for childhood in Palo Alto; ready to move on

To me, being successful means...
doing things you love.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
As I reached high school and older, I realized that success, to me, was more about being happy and productive than about wealth or fame.

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BoyzIIMen, U2, Mary J Blige, and Toad the Wet Sprocket

To me, being successful means...
accepting myself as an imperfect being, feeling strong and energized in my body, and cultivating healthy, mutually respectful relationships.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
It used to be more about quantity, like number of friends, amount paid, amount of influence, how well known I am. Now it's become more about the quality of my work and relationships -- noticing what nourishes me and what drains me, and making decisions about my life accordingly.

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A Writer, obsessed with truth, resisting retirement

To me, being successful means...
To achieve what I set out to achieve, while making enough money to not have to worry, and being able to help others who have not been so fortunate.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
In my youth, I assumed money would automatically accompany good work. It does not. It must be consciously pursued.

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Chess Instructor & Master-level Player; Statistical Analyst

To me, being successful means...
Being able to relax and enjoy life. Specifically, not having a high stress career, and having friends that are similarly laid back.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I used to think of success in terms of being able to make a lot money and probably having some kind of high tech job. But it's a big world out there with a lot of time to find what you are passionate about.

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TV Editor, Los Angeles, CA

To me, being successful means...
Being true to yourself. Following your dreams. Finding what makes you happy. Being comfortable with your place in life.

My definition of success has not changed over time. 
Not really. I always wanted to make my way. I never really bought into all of society's ideas of who or what I should be.

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Believe in Yourself and Be Optimistic. Speak Up!

To me, being successful means...
Being happy and content and enjoying life, living it to its fullest. Being able to relax if just for a moment and reflect on what I have, small or large, and feeling good about the choices I've made. It's about being grateful and being successful in LIFE, not necessarily a career. And life, to me, is not work. 

My definition of success has not changed over time. 
I assume that when I was younger (child/teen) I thought money meant success but I don't clearly recall any feelings one way or the other. It was hard to get away from seeing the wealth in Palo Alto and seeing what we did "not have" relative to others, in terms of material objects. My family and my friends' families were not rich and we lived in a neighborhood where grand homes, careers and money weren't flaunted and weren't a driving force. We didn't have as much as others but that was OK. My mom and dad did not espouse the idea that money equals success so in turn I was not raised to believe this. I am grateful for that and recognize the gift of growing up in PA and being comfortable and safe, while at the same time recognize that we were in a bubble and our perspectives are skewed because of that.

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Dancing your way, out of PA

To me, being successful means...
Accomplishing goals and tasks that I set for myself no matter how big or small.

My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to think it was about what you did, but now I believe how you did it is more important.

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