Success Redefined
"Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome." - Arthur Ashe
If you ask someone if he wants to succeed in life, he would probably give you a yes for an answer – because everybody wants to be successful. You hardly find somebody who thinks otherwise. People don’t always realize this, I didn’t actually, until they meet a person who emulates its meaning, but success is not about achieving the dream nor of ego, fame, or social status – it is about winning your journey towards genuine happiness. I have this student who always felt bad about herself: she has a job, yes, but one that people didn’t think would pay her well for her skills; and her batch mates are excelling in their chosen fields. She was so insecure that she never attended any of the reunions her classmates have set years after they graduate. When I last spoke to her, she told me so many things she had always wanted to do, but chose not to because she had too much to consider – and I was just there thinking, “I have taught this kid when she was young, and now she’s teaching me.”
Let me share you what she told me when I asked her to define success: “Sometimes I feel guilty because I have a tinge of regret about sending my sibling to school instead of saving all my money for my personal growth. But then I look at her and see what a better future she may have because I choose to sacrifice for her. I can’t help but be proud of her and of myself. To me, that’s my own taste of success: my sibling’s education.” When she explained this to me, I realized that she had her point for not going to meet-and-greets with former classmates, for refusing to spend money for out-of-town trips, and for denying herself the pleasures of her salary. I realized that this girl with ponytails when she was my student has learned to live a life for others. She redefined success for me. From her, I knew that man should achieve his goals in his own pace, and on his own terms. Maybe people don’t understand why things happen along the way, but her strength is so inspiring that I felt ashamed of thinking that she has wasted many years of her career life staying on a job where she rarely has a chance to do the things others do.
I guess it is safe to say that we may differ in how we view success, but it is always best to not compare ourselves with others. With the help of education, she knew it would be the best gift she can give her own sibling. I hope that as her teacher, I have inspired her to make the best decisions towards her rewarding journey. I hope her story inspires my present students about studying hard, pursuing their dreams, and defining success by focusing on their own track.