Is Success Enough?...I Sometimes Wonder

Steve,

It is amazing how many inmates on Death Row who have killed their spouses have a Happyness Index rating far above some of those folks living in mansions in Beverly Hills.

Revenge must be a lot sweeter than they're making it out to be...

KJ

See, that's not success to me though. He had fame and money, but if he was not happy, that is not success.

Ok, I wanted to be fair so I went and read it.
Now, so what?
He's talented, rich and famous and he has had some personal problems. So what?
If your point is just that money doesn't buy happiness then I will agree with you.

Happiness is a state of mind that you can contol to an extent.
There is something I tell people all the time and something I firmly believe.
Here it comes: "Only you can make yourself happy".
If you are depending on others or things to make you happy, you will never be happy.
I know this is cliche, but just being able to wake up in the morning does a lot towards making me happy.
Live long and prosper!

If I were famous, rich, and successful at rockhounding - that would just mean I'd be out there more often, so that would buy me plenty of happiness. If I was successful at something else, it would have to allow me time to get out to the places I am happiest doing what makes me happy or that success wouldn't be all that satisfying. It's not the success itself - it's what you can do with it or in spite of it in my view. Maybe it's different for everyone. Success itself might be enough of a crank to make some people deliriously happy and others just want something else, too.

Some people are extremely successful and miserable, some are extremely successful and ecstatically happy. I don't think it's about success itself. I think it's about you and what YOU want. Just because one person is miserable in a situation doesn't mean someone else would be.

I really like this discussion. Lisa, Kim, Nathan, Sal and I are singing the same song. (Maybe we're each creating our own harmony lines?)

Success only means achieving something in particular. A person can be a success at one area of life, and not a success at another.

Elton John's obviously a great success at prolific, profitable music-making. Is he also a success at living a happy personal life? I don't know. Apparently he's had some tough challenges in that area.

If that's true, he's certainly not the first person to have enormous fame and fortune, countless people who love and buy his work... but who find true joy and peace of mind are elusive.

There are people who plan diligently, then work hard to achieve their career and financial goals. Yet sometimes these same people assume that success of the heart, soul and love life will just kind of somehow take care of themselves. That seems to me an unwise balance. One thing I appreciate about Tony Robbins is that he recommends people have goals and plans for personal fulfillment, not just for outward success.

Steven, one big difference is that Elton had top 10 hits by his mid 20's. If you were to get a #1 song now, that would happen to someone who's already a settled adult with an identity, a family, an existing part-time business that can make you comfortable. You're obviously not an addiction-prone personality, and don't have anything to prove or solve about who you are. If Elton was your age before his huge fame, maybe he'd have been happier?

Chris

Yeah some of us tend to go off the deep end.

But really at least Elton John was unhappy that he went off the deep end.

Those guys in prison happy they murdered their spouse are really screwed up - happy or not.

Really - be healthy & all else follows.

Obviously it all depends on how you view success. I view success as freedom and having everything you need, and going for what matters to you the most.

money only carries you so far, success to me is what you have accomplished in life, and what you decide to do with your life, as I always tell my wife you have to be happy with what you do, and enjoy life, you live once, so might as well enjoy it, you could wish for all the money in the world, but is it going to make you happy, probably not, i rather be poor and share my life with someone i love then be rich.

Yeah, but Elton John also had to deal with being a gay man in the public spotlight when being gay wasnt in vogue as it is today. He's not exactly an average case for success = happiness.

What is success?

Everyone's defination of success varies and changes. 2 years ago, success would have been to me to have a successful business and money in the bank.

It's now changed. I have achieved that, sold my business in fact, renting my house out, nice holidays bla bla...

Does this mean I see myself as more successful and am happier than I was before? No.

Some people would consider earning $5000 a month successful, I don't but that doesn't mean it isn't to that person.

Money can't buy happiness or health. It can make life easier but there are no guarantees in this world.

We have to create our own happiness and our own success. But remember with success comes other things that you don't count on... The likes of Elton John etc. have to face the lack of privacy etc. (yes, I know, what a sacrifice lol!) but for me, comes hard work and working most evenings.

Lilach

If success can not be self administered and only awarded by those around a person, and if a person overcomes just about any and all obstacles in their path to achieve a high level on a consistent basis over a long period, then in IM terms he would be classed as a Guru / successful by most.

Is success enough. Is there anything else? Nothing quite like achieving your goals and accomplishing what you set out to do. I think its enough if you have your head screwed on straight.

I don't think money is enough. I got to the point where I didn't need more money and I was depressed because I didn't have anything else I needed to do. That was when I realized you need more. You need to have new goals every time you reach one. There needs to be something you are always trying to accomplish or you will find everything pointless and become depressed. That is very important. I didn't learn that until after my business crashed and I had to start over again.

I believe success and happiness are both state's of being.

You can have all the money and fame in the world, but you should be able to BE completely happy without them.

For me success is satisfy with what you have in life and who you are. Be satisfy on what you have, don't ask too much. Be contented!!

It all depends on what you mean with success? What did your family mean when they talked about success? What does success mean to your friends? And mostly, what message is society sending us about success. I know that this sounds a little "spacey" but I think it has alot to do with this. I just wish that we could all find a good balance between money, family, health and in general to be satisfied, that would be Success for me, to really find and live in that balance.

Success is not happiness and it can never be equal to happiness. Success and happiness are just two parallel lines that will never meet.

What do I mean? Elton John succeeded artistically or intellectually but what about other dimensions of success such as emotional, social, physical, spiritual and environmental? Maybe, he failed in all these other areas which matter more than just being successful in your job.

Why do we have many celebrities with shattered private lives and all that? Your guess is as good as mine.

Success is not enough because it is not an end.

I think financial success is only part of the equation.

There are other aspects of life such as health, friends and family, relationships, and personal success.

I think it's about getting what you want in every area in spite of how difficult that really is.

I tell you what, Steve - and everyone. I will be more that glad to put this theory to the ULTIMATE TEST. You all send me major amounts of CASH. We'll call it aid like we do when we send money to foreign governments who pocket it all for themselves. And spread my name far and wide so everyone will know who I am no matter where I go.

I will see if it makes me happy. If it makes me happy to have wealth and fame, we will know once and for all FOR A SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN FACT -- if money and fame can make you happy.

PM me for my paypal address - I'll let you know when I reach a couple of million.

I'm volunteering to join HeySal in this venture.
Purely for scientific reasons, of course.

To me... happiness IS success... and I believe in this quote:

For a valid science experiment, we need a control group. Sal's graciously offered to rich and famous for the good of science. Just for the love of humanity, I'm willing to provide the contrasting group: rich but unknown. Send me the money, nobody will hear from me again, and I'll leave behind a message about whether I was happy.

To complete the study, we need to find someone who's famous but not rich. I think the remaining guy from Milli Vanilli might be available?

I definitely agree. Success for me is being how happy you are to what status you are in. We cannot buy happiness so it's one thing everyone should dare to seek.

In many ways I feel just being alive is success...Like a Queen of England said (can't remember which one) as she died, "My kingdom for a day".

I think happiness is far more important than money. Indeed I read of countless lottery millionaires stating they wish had not won due to all of the problems that kind of wealth attracts.

I guess success depends on how you define it. you can accomplish simple things, be happy with it and you can call yourself successful. For me, success has a deeper meaning than money and fame.