Success is not just what you perceive

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Lumchio Patton

Asst Prof, Dept of Sociology, St Joseph's College (Autonomous), Jakhama


What is Success? Well, According to the Oxford Dictionary “Success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose, the gaining of fame, wealth, or social status, person or thing that achieves success”. The American Dictionary defined “success as the achieving of desired results, or someone or something that achieves positive results”. Success the opposite of failure is the status of having achieved and accomplished an aim or objective. Being successful means the achievement of desired vision and planned goals. Furthermore, success can be a certain social status that describes a prosperous person that could also have gained fame for its favorable outcome. 


Many a times we have a perception that successful persons are those who are wealthy enough of possessing things like Cars, huge mansion, technological gadgets, land, qualifications, degrees, fame and so on, but in my opinion, successful person may not be only those people who have luxurious things in life. Success does not only mean the tangible ones, but it can also be the intangible things like joy, happiness, moral values, norms, love and affection, honesty,  integrity,  and to be contented with what one has, good at, and the love of what one does, and a peace of mind.


A person may have all the tangible things in life but doesn’t mean that he is filled with happiness. We should also keep in mind that we cannot buy happiness even if a person happens to be wealthy. There are many affluent people, a particular person may be one of the siblings in a family or may be a parallel cousins, but if this person cannot share his happiness or blessings within the family members, friendship, relationships then he cannot be called a successful person, because above all, humans are social being which they are expected to share things and to help each other in times of need and emotional distress.


At times, since we all are believers, God have taught us a lesson in numerous ways, but most wealthy people never give a try to realize, because their faith has overtaken by their limitless desire and always tries to escape from their own brethren. As the saying goes “human wants are unlimited”, therefore ones desires and aspirations would never be fully accomplished, and would never have a peaceful mind.


Intangible values are like imagination, beliefs and fantasies. Stone crumbles, and wood rots; People live and die. But, things as fragile as a thought, a dream, a legend, they can go on and on. In other words, your most precious, valued possessions are your greatest powers which is invisible and intangible. No one can take them, you and you alone can give them, and you will receive abundance for your giving.


Once upon a time, a mother from a very rich family came seeking for a counselor in a church and to many surprise, she was not happy at all, she therefore needs to be counseled. She said that of course they are wealthy and live a luxurious life, but her husband does not treat her well, whenever he comes home he would use her and once he goes out from home nobody in his family has a clue of his whereabouts. Therefore, whether a person happens to be a poor or rich it doesn’t matter to lead a happy and contented life. A person may be poor, but if their relationship is bonded with love and mutual understanding then they could live happily and that could be the achievement or success in life.  


Many young and adults these days usually look for a person who is from rich background, thinking that they would live happily, but in reality it is not so. A person who has understanding and shares everything through mutual understanding, with a strong bond they will have a peaceful mind and whatever they do, they will be able to cherish throughout their life.


A particular person may be doing manual jobs, a person’s salary may be very low, but that doesn’t mean that they are not successful, because no one knows from what background they might have started, and no one knows how simple, truthful and happy they may be. Just because they are poor they are reluctant to show their contentment and joy to the rich people, but in fact they are much more powerful and joyful than the wealthy people.


In conclusion, I want all of us to ponder upon the following Questions: 1.What is the use of being intellectual and becoming wealthy, if we cannot contribute good values to the society? 2. Are we a source of change? 3. What if we do not lend our hands to the needy and poor people? 4. Isn’t a person more successful if he or she lives with principles in life inculcating and practicing good values like honesty, integrity and live joyfully and happily? Let us try to count one another and live in unity and harmony irrespective of the positions and status we have, because at the end of the day we need one another and we all are interdependent to one another as the saying goes, “a razor blade can shave your hair, but cannot cut trees, also an axe could cut trees, but cannot cut your hair”.