I’m willing to say it’s a safe bet that almost everyone wants to succeed. Of course, there are many variations in what determines success, but whose version of success matters most? What’s your idea of success? How do you measure your success? How do you know when you've really accomplished something that really matters?
If success is measured on other people's terms, it may only mean frustration and disappointment for you. Doing the "right thing" just because you've been told it's the right thing won't help, either. Also, if you measure your success by goals that others think worthwhile instead of by your own personal standards, you could wind up in trouble.
Personal growth, satisfaction and fulfillment must start with your centered self, and to achieve these outcomes, they must be sustained. In order to sustain the effort toward your outcomes, you must have a clear understanding of your personal values. Measuring success by other people's values prevents you from recognizing many of your own significant accomplishments.
You were not on this earth to measure up to someone else's expectations, but you are here to develop your potential in the direction and degree that you choose. It is your responsibility, though, to equip yourself to make wise choices. Wise choices that will help you develop and feel good about yourself. Certainly it is acceptable to seek advice or information from others, but the final decision must be yours.
In the final analysis, when you count your successes, make sure you use the standards and measurement scale that you determined, not someone else's.
