To me, being successful means...
Finding the intersection between your talent and your interests. Learning to practice self-care and self-compassion. Learning to be yourself unapologetically.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Read MoreTo me, being successful means...
Being successful means not being afraid to try, fail and try again.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to associate success quantitatively. Especially growing up in a community that values high achievers, never receiving 100% or A+, I grew up constantly feeling like a failure.
To me, being successful means...
Living an authentic life where I can be myself, am appreciated for what I can contribute and where I can love and be loved.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I was concerned about how my career would afford me a certain lifestyle, based on how I was raised in affluent Palo Alto. Now I focus on how I can contribute to a mission I care deeply about and work-life balance.
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.
To me, being successful means...
Feeling fulfilled in life and doing something you enjoy, life is too short to be unhappy.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Yes, in high school I didn't try at all I barely graduated high school with a 2.0 GPA. It wasn't until I decided that I wanted to take school seriously that I excelled. I went to community college which I thought was easier then [high school] then pursued my bachelors degree and I am currently in graduate school and I should be graduating with honors next year.
To me, being successful means...
I feel nothing but contempt and frustration toward the use of words like "success" and "failure" being introduced to adolescents. I've always had a huge problem with the idea that from a very young age, I'm supposed to measure my self-worth by my ability to "get stuff done", whether that means fulfilling my own goals or those of someone else. And while this frustration emerged mostly out of a youthful nihilism that I'm beginning to think is endemic to Palo Alto kids, it became even more emboldened as the years went on and I realized a vast amount of my time in the Palo Alto School District was spent disciplining my body and mind rather than liberating my spirit.
People will tell you that there are things you "need" to do to survive in this world, that you have to play the game because you don't want to end up like "them". Don't listen. Your youth is precious. Don't waste it worrying about someone else's idea of "success".
My definition of success has changed not over time.
Read MoreTo me, being successful means...
Making a positive difference in the world so that it's at least a little better when you left it than when you entered it.
My definition of success has changed over time.
My definition of success is much less oriented towards personal achievement now than it was when I was, say, in high school.
To me, being successful means...
Happy and healthy
My definition of success has changed over time.
Material things don't matter.
To me, being successful means...
Doing what you love
My definition of success has not changed over time.
Read MoreTo me, being successful means...
Happiness, finding your place in society, knowing who you are and what you want for your own life.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I thought success was money (income).
To me, being successful means...
Doing something that is just the right amount of challenging, fulfilling and fun which also helps make the world a better place. If you're going for power, first ask yourself why you want it.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I don't think I started off my education with an idea of success at all. Certainly in college it was more about getting good grades and advancing with little thought to the value of what I was doing.
To me, being successful means...
I've come to believe that success is really relative. Some might define success by major financial success, power or name recognition. I think I'm successful. I've got three kids who are doing great, I can feed them and my wife and have money for luxuries like Ice Hockey, concerts, meals out and seeing new movies if we like. I'm not wealthy by any means, but I'm certainly successful compared to a lot of situations.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to feel that being recognized was the definition of success. After all, only those whose name is thrown around are what seemed successful. They were known, they had influence, recognition and power. It always seemed like school and TV said it was so easy, it wasn't. I had to move the goalposts. Success became not being a failure rather than being any verb which implied privilege. When that level of success(close to the dictionary definition) is your bar, all of a sudden its black and white: succeed or fail. So not failing became the yardstick of success.
To me, being successful means...
Doing something you love that hopefully makes enough money to pay the bills.
My definition of success has not changed over time.
Read MoreTo me, being successful means...
Being emotionally, financially stable.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I really bought into the one track success story of being a great/student/athlete/whatever but events and life changed me, I dropped out of school then went back, I had to support my family etc. I found out that my goals changed and what's really important isn't how smart or great I looked/seemed.
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...
Having deep, loving relationships (new and old); taking care of my health as best as I can, being financially sustainable and having a strong, mutually respectful, loving and honest marriage.
My definition of success has changed over time.
It used to be more of a fairytale picture. Now it's real and includes going through the mud puddle to get to the other side, rather than walking around it.
To me, being successful means...
Having time and resources to spend doing things that are meaningful to me.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I realized while having a business that some things are more important to me than money.
To me, being successful means...
Being 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.
