Today I was back out in the courtyard, strolling through the sunshine and brisk air. The word I had on my board was SUCCESS along with a few associated questions soliciting students to tell me their general ideas/definitions of success and how we can recognize it in ourselves and others. The response was overwhelming.
The first few students to say
anything to me mentioned being millionaires (shocking). I turned it around on
them by asking is it okay to be a millionaire no matter how you got the money?
They immediately recognized the difference between starting your own small
business and living a life of crime. Then they went on to mention how it would
be important to raise a family, live a good life, get an education, et cetera.
The best reaction I had today
started with one student. He told me—of course—that he had to have: 1) a huge
mansion; 2) be a billionaire (I guess
millionaire is not enough for him); 3) be famous; 4) have a model wife. I would
have pressed him to explain what he meant by “model,” but I figured he meant
one who displays the latest fashions rather than some notion of perfection insofar as who or what a wife is supposed to be. After he loudly proclaimed these to
practically everyone within earshot, I asked him where he got such notions and
was about to ask if reality television and American popular culture have distorted
his (or our) views of success before his friends all started chiming in. They
told him that that is not the only form of success; they mentioned accomplishing
personal goals and dreams, living to the best of one’s abilities, and exceeding
the expectations of ourselves and others. By the time I left, 5 or 6 students
were discussing success with each other. And that certainly made today a
success for me.
How about you? How would you define
success? Are there certain universal forms of success that people might agree
upon regardless of culture and context? Why or why not? How do you recognize
success in yourself? In others? Do you try to promote success by the way you
live? Why is success important? Do we have to be successful at everything, or
is it okay to succeed in only certain endeavors?
Please leave your
comments and questions for others.
