Late bloomer, MD

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To me, being successful means...
Feeling accomplished. It doesn't take much; sometimes just completing what I set out to do in a day (which definitely doesn't always happen). But to me, having more of those days than not = success.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
After high school and college it becomes clear that if being passionate and working hard at ANYTHING will make you successful. High school gave off the impression that there were a select few fields that people should go into to be considered successful.

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Palo Alto stereotype?

/ Mitchell Park/

To me, being successful means...
Success means spending my time being useful, learning, and having close relationships with my family and friends.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Success used to be more about what other people thought of me, now it's about what I think of me and what those I love think of me.

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Two steps forward, one step back: the imperfect college experience

/ Skyline/

To me, being successful means...
Being emotionally and physically stable while pursuing something you are passionate about.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
In high school I compared myself to my "successful" older siblings who took more AP courses than me while also having friends than me. I didn't know how to define myself outside of the standards others had set for me and was very lost. I tried really hard in everything I did but never felt it was enough. I had a terrible eating disorder which almost took my life and my anxiety was through the roof.

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A Donut a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

/ Happy Donuts/

To me, being successful means...
To be content with where you are, but most importantly, who you are.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I used to measure my success by where I stood compared to my peers. In hindsight, it's silly to think that a group of people, with all varying personalities and interests were expected to follow the same path.

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nihilist/anarchist teen becomes chef and dancer becomes academic microbiologist

/ Mitchell Park/

To me, being successful means...
Living a happy, vibrant, full life that has a positive impact on the world (even if the impact is tiny, it's still meaningful as long as it's positive).

My definition of success has not changed over time. 
I don't think my definition of success has fundamentally changed over time so much as I've gained the worldly knowledge to understand what I always knew to be true.

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anonymous artist

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To me, being successful means...
The way I measure my own success is in how much I am learning, how much I am creating, and how mindful I am of others and my environment.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I used to care so much about what others thought of me... I've always been an anxious person and a people-pleaser. I used to feel validated when someone would compliment me on my achievements, and I think that the amount of praise I received became my metric of success. Now, though, it's much different. Compliments are appreciated, but they are not things that I cling to so tightly and I certainly don't let them define me. I don't define success as one thing, but rather how in balance my life is as a whole: am I being generous enough to others? to myself? am I learning and growing and exploring? am I throwing myself wholeheartedly into my art? These are the things I care about now, and this is how I define how "successful" I am.

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From Student to Teacher

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To me, being successful means...
Feeling proud of the work I have done and always making the morally correct choice--being the better person even when it's easy not to.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I used to define success as accomplishments--tangible things I could point to. It turned out once I accomplished something I was most proud of all the hard work that had gotten me there, not of the accomplishment itself.

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Success with a hiccup - struggling with mental illness

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To me, being successful means...
Being happy, waking up each morning knowing you are loved and that everything will be OK, no matter what happens.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I realized that what I do for work has much less importance in life than who I am as a person. 

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The Employed Philosophy Major

/ The Baylands/

To me, being successful means...
having the time and energy to do better today than I did yesterday. 

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Earlier in my life, my definition of success was tied to my academic and job-related successes. Now I realize that focusing on those external factors was a way to avoid the introspection necessary to define success for myself.

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Happy balance over everything else

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To me, being successful means...
Maintaining my happiness.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
There is no dollar amount or title that can fulfill my success, which I initially believed. It's a matter of a work life balance that allows me to do the things in life that make me happy.

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i used to be an idealist.

/ Mitchell Park/

To me, being successful means...
being healthy, having friends and family, and making time to do what you enjoy.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
well, ironically enough, i realize the importance of financial stability. not to say money=success. but, y'know.

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I love Palo Alto, but take it with a grain of salt.

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To me, being successful means...
...that I'm comfortable in my own skin and don't need to adhere to my parents' or family members' definition of what is successful. It's not all about money, career, or status; it's about what's interesting or comfortable to me on the timeline that I choose.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
In high school I was taught (by my parents) that money and status are the key to happiness. You're successful? Then you have a big house (that you own) and drive a BMW/Audi/Tesla/etc. to show others that you are important. It was about where you went to school, what your degree is, what your job title is, whether or not your parents stayed together, and making sure that everyone around you knew all of those things. Because of that, I currently rarely "talk shop." I hate it. I don't want to be defined by where I went to school, what my major was, or what my job title is. Success to me is being able to build friendships, sustain jobs (no matter the title), have interests outside of work (whatever they may be), etc., so that you aren't limited to being defined by any one thing.

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Success does not = stress.

/ Village Cheese house/

To me, being successful means...
To me, being successful means creating a life in which happiness is achieved. This is specific to each person. For me, it meant creating a life full of loving friends and family. Along with a comfortable job that is both fun and pays the bills.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
When I was younger, accolades were much more important in regards to my definition of success. Trophies, degrees, wealth, etc. It wasn't much later until I realized that accolades are just a form of bragging rights. There are plenty of people I know who are happier than I am and don't make nearly as much money or success.

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Find and follow your bliss. It's okay if your bliss changes.

/ Mitchell Park/

To me, being successful means...
finding something that you're passionate about and following that passion. realizing and living your dream(s).

My definition of success has changed over time. 
The older you become, the more perspective you have about things. You have experiences to think about. You see how others have dealt with having success or you meet others who feel like they haven't been successful yet. 

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Living with Disabilities

/ I didn't really have one./

To me, being successful means...
Achieving your goals while also keeping yourself relaxed. Stress will come into play, but if you don't let it stop you from continuing to put in hard work, you will do well.

My definition of success has not changed over time. 

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Now Living a Dream I Never Knew I Had

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To me, being successful means...
Doing something that you love so much that it makes you excited to get up every morning!

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I didn't see when I was younger that you can't achieve success without passion.

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