Successes that are Worth Celebrating

Lisa Franchi November 24, 2014

How do you measure success? When can you say that you are successful? Whilst time and again we are taught that the best things in life are for free, most of us seem like ‘unstoppable’ in their quest for a good life – the kind of life where luxury is the trend. When we see our batch mate in high school now driving a Ferrari or being interviewed on TV, we say “Oh, look! He/she’s very successful!”

But if we constantly define success with superficial things like our bank account, car, house and other forms of wealth, we are setting ourselves for disaster. This doesn’t mean to say we should stop trying to make our life as comfortable as we could. We only need to realise that these things don’t really scale up to success, not even happiness.

Below are the successes that are really worth celebrating, but we often forget. Giving them a second thought can make our life richer and happier.

Being healthy.

Many people make big money every day. But a big portion of their income only goes to medications and hospital bills. Be thankful that you are well and healthy. Because when you are, you will have the energy to face life’s challenges, and achieve your goals.

Doing what you love.

If you wake up each day having the free will to do what you love, you really are successful and you should celebrate! It’s true, money is important. But if that means being stressed and unhappy every single day of your life, you better pass on the raise.

Failing.

What? Isn’t it failure the opposite of success? In dictionaries, it probably is. But in real life, failure is never the opposite, rather, it is the road to success. Don’t be discouraged of falling flat on your face. Failing means you’ve attempted something you haven’t mastered, you jumped out of your comfort zone, and you opened yourself to endless learning. If you fail, that’s okay. Don’t focus on the failure itself, or the hurt and disappointment it brings. Focus on the other side of the coin – the wisdom you gained, and the strength you built. It is only when you failed to see the lesson that you truly failed.

Showing progress.

Happiness is not a result of something. It is in the journey you take to get to somewhere. Success is not about accomplishments, it’s about the ability to improve day after day. When you wake up today feeling that you are better, stronger and wiser than yesterday, you are successful. And that deserves to be acknowledged.

Making your own decisions.

Success is when you are able to make decisions for yourself, not depending on other people. It is living your life the way you want, and not to please your parents, family or friends. In life, we often reach a point when we need to make decisions that compromise our beliefs. While sometimes we need reinforcement from the people we trust, we feel more successful when we are able to make decisions based on our core values.

A nice car, a big home, and big savings in the bank – they can really give you happiness. But the happiness they bring is only temporary. After several months or years, you feel less happy and emptier. So as you continually strive for the good life, you must not forget things that matter more. There are things that are worth celebrating now, such as having a good health, doing what you love, failing and learning, showing progress, and making your own decisions. They are priceless treasures you must really take good care of.