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Success, it is pushed upon us before birth as expecting parents lovingly read all the books to give their child a heads up on life. It is the one thing that everyone yearns for, but what is the true meaning? Is it about money, being popular or just being excellent at what you choose to do with your life? In the most basic of concepts to be successful is to simply achieve something.

That seems a simple enough definition, but what of a successful drug dealer. They have achieved what is expected for someone in that position, yet society will always view them as a failure and rightly so. The discrepancies arise when we try to contemplate what societies stance on success is. Is the successful housewife that has sacrificed a career for a healthier family life as worthy of the word as a successful doctor that has given up time with their family for their career?

Achieving wealth, power and fame is listed as one of the dictionaries definitions for success. What of the president, no matter who is in office, there are guaranteed to be many Americans that view him as unsuccessful, yet he has achieved wealth, power and fame on a level very few can ever hope for. It forces one to consider the notion that what one does with their wealth, fame or power must be figured into the equation when determining if one is truly successful.

It is impossible to measure success without first looking at where one began in life. It was no shock when George W. Bush followed in his father's footsteps and became president. Those that voted for W enjoyed the victory but it wasn't all that memorable. When President Obama won the election, those that voted for him were rejoicing, they were out in the streets letting the world know. The difference in how the voters reacted was directly tied to where Obama and Bush started in life. Bush was born to a politically motivated, upper-class, white family while Obama was born bi-racial and had a very dysfunctional upbringing.

The personal happiness of the subject being evaluated must also be examined. No matter how much wealth, power or fame one achieves, if they are a miserable person that is unhappy with what they have they will never truly be a success. A successful person sees what life has allotted them and is grateful and appreciative.

As with every philosophical question, the answer is never black and white. The answer always falls in the grey area, which could be debated for eternity never reaching a set standard. True success is nothing more or less than being good at life. It is taking what you are given and doing what you can with it. A truly successful person can look back at their life and smile, knowing that they did their best.

Learn more about this author, April May Maple.
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