To me, being successful means...
Loving life and being able to encourage and provide for others.
My definition of success has changed over time.
It is less of a material target and more of an attitude or state of being.
To me, being successful means...
Feeling fulfilled in a major aspect of your life, whether it is in the context of family, career, spirituality, etc. Pursuing interests. Having interests. Feeling happy with yourself and the person you are. Feeling content and at peace. Being financially comfortable and emotionally stable.
My definition of success has not changed over time.
My definition of success really hasn't changed much over time. In high school, I may have also included more age-appropriate things like getting good grades or making my parents happy, but I always knew success was a big-picture rather than snapshot thing. I think I was always aware that true success was more of an intrinsic rather than extrinsic accomplishment.
To me, being successful means...
Being happy with what I do on a day-to-day basis.
My definition of success has changed over time.
When I was in high school, I thought that success meant working in a white collar professional capacity, having power and money, and exotic adventures and participating in art on the side.
To me, being successful means...
Living your life with passion and not taking it for granted. Being able to love and be loved. Having compassion for yourself and others. Trying to make the world a better place.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Absolutely. For years --starting in elementary school and extending past graduate school – I defined success based on academic and professional accomplishments. My parents were very achievement oriented and put a lot of pressure on us to excel starting at a very young age. But it never felt like enough. In college, I became very depressed. I felt like I had been jumping through hoops my whole life, and I was exhausted. I didn’t even know what actually made me happy. After an episode of major depression, I decided to pursue the things that gave me pleasure instead of what other people told me I should do. I feel very lucky to have found a career I love, one where I can help people every day, be creative, feel intellectually satisfied, and explore the world. I feel even luckier to have found my soul mate in my late 30s. The joy I derive from my day-to-day life, and my ability to give back, are what make me feel successful.
To me, being successful means...
being happy, feeling accomplished, and staying afloat.
My definition of success has not changed over time.
Read MoreTo me, being successful means...
Being happy with yourself, and contributing to the community around you. Finding a way to balance your life so that you have time for all the things you find important.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Through college, I thought top grades and achievement meant success. I thought that graduate degrees meant success. It wasn't until after college when I took time off before graduate school that I realized that spending time with friends, doing fun activities, and being away from achievement-oriented things brought me more joy than school did.
To me, being successful means...
Feeling that my life has meaning and being truly calm and happy.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Less focused on attainment of specific accomplishment milestones.
To me, being successful means...
Completing one task at a time.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I hadn't a clue how many times I would fall face down and get up again. Sometimes success meant money, sometimes little or big fame, sometimes it meant getting up after feeling near spiritual, mental, or physical exhaustion.
To me, being successful means...
Being happy. Proud of myself. Content with my life. Making others happy.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Read MoreThis is a collection of anonymous life and career stories from Palo Alto alumni for everyone. They shatter the myth that there is only one path to success.
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Black and white photos on this site courtesy of Palo Alto Historical Association. All other photos taken by us. Website by us.
