Books and newspapers have written extensively about success, yet we still cannot agree on an answer to the timeless question: “What is success?”
Merriam-Webster defines ‘success’ as ‘gaining or achieving wealth, respect, or fame,’ but this understanding is not truly complete.
Read the reflections below from some of the best-known authors, inventors and entrepreneurs to see how they define success.
ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, FOUNDER OF HUFFINGTON POST: MONEY AND POWER ARE NOT ENOUGH TO DEFINE SUCCESS.
Huffington believes we tend to think about success based on two measures, money and power, but those two factors alone are not enough. We need to add a third.
“To live a truly worthwhile life that matches our wishes, rather than merely a stable life, we need a third measure,” Arianna says. “The third measure defines success beyond money and power through four pillars: well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving
Together, these factors help us achieve a healthy psychological life, which is essential to true success.
LEGENDARY BASKETBALL COACH JOHN WOODEN: SUCCESS MUST STEM FROM SATISFACTION.
With 620 wins and 10 national titles, Wooden is the most decorated basketball coach in college basketball history.
Yet his definition of success emphasizes the struggle within rather than competition with others: “Success is peace of mind, arising from the satisfaction of knowing you have worked your hardest to achieve worthy results,” he said.
ZAPPOS CEO TONY HSIEH: SUCCESS IS LIVING ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN VALUES.
“An individual’s core values help define who you are, while a company’s core values are essential to establishing its reputation and brand,” Hsieh wrote in his memoir Delivering Happiness, which recounts how he built Zappos. “For individuals, character is destiny; for organizations, culture is destiny,” he said.
RENOWNED AUTHOR MAYA ANGELOU: SUCCESS IS LOVING WHAT YOU DO
This great, award-winning poet, who died at 86, left the public many literary works and countless aphorisms. Her view of success is considered among the finest: “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it.”
BRITISH POLITICIAN WINSTON CHURCHILL: SUCCESS IS NOT GIVING UP.
From 1929 to 1939, Churchill no longer held power in governing the country. However, he remained very active in politics. In 1939, the then Prime Minister asked him to serve as Minister of the Navy as German forces led by Hitler rose up.
His definition of success took shape during those years: ‘Success is going from failure to failure without losing the flame of enthusiasm.’
BILLIONAIRE RICHARD BRASON: SUCCESS MEANS GIVING YOUR ALL
Despite having assets worth USD 5 billion, Richard Brason, founder of the Virgin Group, believes success is being fully immersed in your work.
“My definition of success?” he asked himself on Virgin’s blog. “The more positive and enthusiastic you are about your work, the more successful you will feel.”
SPEAKER DEEPAK CHOPRA: SUCCESS IS THE RESULT OF CONTINUOUS GROWTH.
This doctor and author believes success is continuous development.
‘Success in life can be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals,’ Chopra wrote in his book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.
INVENTOR THOMAS EDISON: SUCCESS IS TIRELESS WORK.
Edison, who held more than 1,000 patents, had a highly unusual approach to work. At one point, he worked for 72 consecutive hours without a break.
Naturally, his definition of success is no less ambitious: “Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”
BELOVED AUTHOR STEPHEN COVEY: THE DEFINITION OF SUCCESS IS DEEPLY PERSONAL
Covey achieved tremendous success and became a beloved author with his 1989 book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,’ which sold 25 million copies.
However, Covey believes success bears each person's individual imprint. For him, success resembles what is said in the eulogy at your funeral: what you achieved while alive, remembered and spoken of with respect.
