What is your measure for success?

When one says they want to be successful, what does that mean?  Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines success as:    1 obsolete : outcome, result; 2 a : degree or measure of succeeding b : favorable or desired outcome; also : the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence; 3 : one that succeeds. To me to achieve success is to obtain your goals. If your goal is to buy a house, or a new car, or graduate college, then obtaining those goals makes you successful.

Everyone has their own measure for success; however, I think sometimes that measure gets distorted. Distorted by what others have that you don't, by feeling that you should be more successful than you are at that point in your life, or the end result not happening soon enough. The old saying "The grass isn't always green" is so true. Throughout our lives we all have made choices with regard to the paths our lives will take. Those path choices have taken you on a journey that has lead your life to the place you are today. If you look back to an earlier point in your life through today, you can begin to see how truly successful you are and have become. For me, I measure my success by seeing my teenage boys as true gentleman, making the deans list yet one more time, following through with things I said I would do, or making someone smile.

It's very easy to get caught up into the day to day drama and monotony. When that happens, step back and take a look at the big picture. You will begin to truly appreciate all that you have and all that you have become.