Carve your own path

DEFINE YOUR OWN SUCCESS

Society would sometimes want to hand us blueprints for success and achievements. They would say, graduate from a prestigious institution; climb the corporate ladder; buy a house; hit a certain figure in your bank account; acquire this, possess that; what if all these supposed milestones of achievement do not resonate with you? What if it does not light you up? What if your version of success looks nothing like the standard highlighted in this checklist?

True success is not about meeting external expectations, satisfying societal standards, and definition of success, it is about creating a life that is meaningful, and satisfying to you. You must define what success is to you. That will determine your roadmap to your desired destination, and help you navigate your unique journey. If you do not define what success is to you, someone else will without your authorisation, and that is a fast track to exhaustion, emptiness, and a frustrated life.

To one, success could mean, the freedom and opportunity to travel the world; to another it could mean trying something new every single day; another might value the peace that comes with anonymity over the glamour of fame, and popularity; the feeling of growth could be more important to another, over the desire for perfection; the fulfillment of a creative endeavour could be the greatest desire of some, over the conventional prestige of receiving medals. Whatever success is to you, let it determine your path.

Success is personal to everyone, and everyone must define what it means to them. It is not about rejecting ambitious, and grand possibilities, it is about aligning with what you truly value, and what matters to you. There is no end to what success can be, and failure does not truncate success, rather, it is a pointer to your progress. The fact that you failed means you have left where you used to be, and you are on a path to a new level that requires a better version of you. You don't have to fit in the mold, just carve your own path.

To a better you, Kamikun John.