How do you equate success in life?

[Anordinarymum]

Reading and contributing to the thread on prostitution last night in the main and today got me thinking about success in life and how people perceive it.

It seems to me that people directly link success with wealth but...... when I read some of the horror stories about lousy bastard husbands I wonder, given that some of them seem to be affluent as well as nasty.

Surely success is more about enjoying life and feeling comfortable in your own skin?

I agree.
When I was younger I always combined success with wealth.
Happiness and contentment is worth so much more than any sum of money, being comfortable with your life in general, your home, job, family.
That's success to me.

Contentment and a good match between your aptitudes, interests and activities.

-Enough to get by
-Some good relationships (friendships, family, romantic partner)

• Being able to look back on the choices I have made and live with them
• Liking and being at peace with myself

I have been very, very lucky so far on all of the above.

I do currently conflate earning money and having a good job as being successful but I am currently trying to change my attitude.

Definitely agree that being happy in yourself and kind to others is a better measure of success.

Being well travelled and sampling different cultures and enough money to not worry about paying bills

Being decent to other people and not having major emotional deficiencies.

Being a happy person who is loved and who loves.

Enough money to make the choices I want to make and a content home life - a husband and friends I can be myself around and enjoy spending time with.

I think successful generally applies to work and income.
To me, it’s being financially comfortable in that you can afford your bills and have enough money to enjoy some pleasures in life.
You can still be successful without being in a relationship.

Good health, close living family and financial independence for women

I agree with all of you.
group hug ??

..anyone........

Total freedom, security and having enough wherewithal to be able to adapt to whatever upheavals come your way. It's not romantic or beautiful but it's knowing I can survive on my own if need be.

Having strong relationships with family and friends
Being well respected by your peers
Doing a job you love
Having time to spend on you, hobbies, your family and friends
Enough money to be ok

All of the above although I constantly feel bad about never having been a high earner (far from it).
My family are all well off and fairly materialistic so probably stems from that...

Finding your own meaning.

Loving and being loved.

Having a positive impact on society. Would the world be a better or worse place if you did not exist?

Being happy and content.

@GoshHashana

Being decent to other people and not having major emotional deficiencies.

Yep! And having a bit of 'get up and go'.

Although broadly I think it’s associated with wealth I see it as getting what you wanted or worked towards. So that might be a 5 million pound business or a 40 k job/career that you always wanted

I agree that people often equate success with wealth, which is weird as in so many cases wealth is unearned and we have limited control over how wealthy we become. The playing field is completely unfair when it comes to wealth so why would we use this as the primary measure to determine how "successful" someone is? I also think the same about careers. The vast majority of people I know that have aspirational careers (doctors, architects, lawyers) were assisted in some way to enter their chosen profession whether if was through having access to work experience, going to private school or in some cases literally being given jobs in family firms.

I personally believe real success is extends way beyond careers/money and covers more fundamental concepts such as fulfillment, contentment and sustainability. I do think money can play an important role in achieving the above, but a fixation on wealth can actually become counterproductive.

Feeling truly content and fulfilled.

I agree OP. I used to think success was mainly about work and money, but then a friend in her 30s inherited a seven figure sum and a thriving business. I thought it would make her happy, but it didn't. I no longer consider her to be successful because she won't change the things that make her unhappy (get a divorce and a nanny for her children, for example).
I now think that being successful means having the life you want and being content with what you have, even it means you will never be rich. Most people always want more, what they have is never enough. Another big part of success in my definition is having happy, fulfilling, stable relationships, something must people struggle with.

Nobody has total freedom - everyone has things constraining that.

Success is being happy with the life you have and having balance.

People who work all hours for money despite the fact they'd be financially fine working less aren't successful if they're always complaining about "working their arse off" and having no time for their children or relationship or hobbies or to relax - they're just egotistical willfully martyred fools.

Also if money or an established business is handed to you, already earned/ set up by someone else you aren't successful; that's someone else's effort not yours.

Secure, not worried about money (i could use more though)
Healthy (and not taking it for granted)
Content
Free from self doubt and anxiety
I have a few friends, but i feel like they all have better friends. Im on everybody's 2nd tier. But im not getting stressed about that now.