Examples Of Success, Age Really Is Just A Number By Ernest Carey

Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other.” – Erma Bombeck talks about what we believe success is. Does it mean to be liked by everyone? No. Does it mean to have lots of money?

Successful aging is a complicated and multifaceted concept that varies contextually among individuals, disciplines, and even time. Gerontologists have traditionally considered a person to have aged successfully upon having reached old age with their physical health, mental well-being and spirit still intact. Ultimately, successful aging is a matter of personal perspective, largely influenced by an individual 's values and experiences. Even those within America 's elderly population hold conflicting perspectives on what it means to have aged successfully. A qualitative study published by Reichstadt and Sengupta titled Older Adults ' Perspectives on Successful Aging, concluded that “older adults viewed successful aging as a balance between self-acceptance and self-contentedness on one hand and engagement with life and self-growth in later life on the other” (Reichstadt, "Older Adults ' Perspectives on Successful Aging: Qualitative Interviews", pp. 567-575.)

There are many different understandings of what success is. Some relate success to money, others relate success to happiness, but it all depends on the type of person.

The meaning of "success" has numerous interpretations, whether it is your own or society's definition. Within Outliers author Malcolm Gladwell explains that being successful has nothing to do with what kind of person you are, so whether you are intelligent and hardworking or lazy and aloof, it depends on your circumstances growing up. Whether your parents happen to be immigrants, you are one of the smartest men in the country or you make a habit of practicing an activity for a certain amount of hours a day, your own personal success, according to Gladwell is defined by the conditions you grew up in; the idea of being successful varies from culture to culture, therefore, there is no definite meaning of success other than one's interpretation.

To be successful has many interpretations, whether it be your own, from the dictionary or societies’ definition. Within Outliers author Malcolm Gladwell explains that being successful has nothing to do with what kind of person you are, so whether you’re intelligent and hardworking or lazy and aloof, it depends on your circumstances growing up. Whether your parents happen to be immigrants, you’re one of the smartest men in the country or you practice like there’s no tomorrow, your own personal success, according to Gladwell is defined by the conditions you grew up in; the idea of being successful varies from culture to culture and because of that there is no definite meaning of successful other than one’s interpretation.

Success comes from self-determination, motivation, and hard work – that was the message I received from reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell helped me understand that the outliers mentioned in the book didn’t gain their success easily. Some may have had lucky opportunities and where born in the right year, but they had to work hard, they were smart, and out of their achievements, they made an impact on society. Prior to reading Outliers, I was lost among the success of others because I thought these people came from wealthy families, which meant they had a head start, but I was wrong. Success has a different meaning to everyone, but the commonalities of success are the advantages and opportunities given to us.

Jacqueline Smith explains how the views of what success has changed from what it used to be in the article,“This is How Americans Define Success”. According to a survey from Boston Strayer University it stated that a vast majority of Americans believe that success is passed on happiness instead of possessions and wealth.

Everyone has their own interpretation of the word success. Individuals might even have their own personal explanation of how they came to be successful. However, these personal explanations are usually incorrect. Malcolm Gladwell, Steve Jobs, and the film, Dead Poets Society have a mutual understanding of success, making them interconnective. Although success can be interpreted in various ways, success is attained through hidden advantages, extraordinary opportunities, and significant intelligence.

An age-old term, as arbitrary as happiness itself, success has a different definition for each person who intends to achieve it. Many view it through personal achievements or whatever society depicts, but it is truly only defined through the eyes of beholder. Individuals may make several sacrifices to gain success, but the true question is what are they willing to do to achieve it? Paul Tough, the author of “Kewauna’s Ambition”, Malcolm Gladwell of “Marita’s Bargain”, G.K. Chesterton of the “Fallacy of Success”, and Sarah Lewis, author of “Embrace the Near Win” all have different viewpoints on how to achieve this seemingly impossible task. Through the lenses of these authors, it can be concluded that to reach the ultimate goal of success,

In the eyes of people all around the world, success is viewed as how much wealth and items an individual has. Rose Mary, a pursuer in being a fashion designer, nevertheless, is successful due to her drive and motivation to reach her goal. When asked how she personally defines success, Rose Mary replied, “Having a hard work ethic and being determined to reach your life goal, no matter how far it may seem, as long as you push through the obstacles, and your happy with your results.” Cleary, Mary’s views success as being pleased for all the hard work you have done to get where you are at even though the goal may not have been yet. Also, when asked about what are her habits that help her succeed, Mary stated, “having a good time management, big

Most people in today’s society define success as someone who makes a lot of money or has done something important to help form today’s society. People such as Bill Gates or Donald Trump are considered successful because they have lots of money. Even actors whose lives are wrecked and destroyed are considered successful because of the money they have. Others, like Thomas Edison, are considered successful because of accomplishments they achieved in their lives. Thomas Edison, for example, created the light bulb, so most people would consider him successful. In his book, Think & Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill gives 13 steps on how to have the right mindset, attitude, and ability to become successful.

Throughout the life of any man or woman north London, there is an indescribable amount of desire to be successful. Thoughts of Lamborghini’s, Ferraris, or a home on an island too foreign to pronounce contribute to sleepless nights. One’s whole life consists of buying bigger objects and becoming better in hopes of reaching the point where one can say “I am a success”. Success, especially in north London, is not a fixed point rather it is a progression in constructing a lifelong project plagued by an unmatched desire for peer gratification. Success, then, is not the measure of the common three central factors: appearance, status, and career. It is the legacy that is produced by a life well lived that encompasses these factors.

Success is, in many ways, a branch of perspective, and yet societal norms seem to dictate what many view as success. Through my personal experience, and through the reading of Frederick Douglas I believe that the idea of personal success in correlation with perspective is a subject worthy of debate. Dissecting the difference of what many view as success and what may actually be success is essential for growth personally, and for people collectively. For example; currently many in our society view success as the acquisition of a copious monetary status, usually preceded, or followed by recognition for actions, ideas, etc… whether or not one views these actions or ideas worthy of widespread recognition(IE, success of socialites who may have not actually contributed to their own success). Many would believe that figures such as Paris Hilton, and Kim Kardashian, who are viewed as successful women, are successful based on who they are, instead of what they’ve done, while others believe these women are role models for business and personal marketing in the 21st century. I myself believe that success is not based on how any group views you, but on how you view yourself, and measure your own success; based on where you started in life, your goals, and your level of pride in your actions.

In most people’s eyes, success is viewed as having money, being respected, and setting a goal that can be accomplished. Hairdresser and mother, Kristen Bauer defines success as “6 times your annual income” meaning Kristen is on the verge of retirement. In order to achieve this goal, she works for her money 12 hours every other day and has her loyal clients booked 6 months in advance, resulting in a waiting list for other clients. According to Eric Barber, author of “Keys to Success” from Time.com, people who are successful work “60 to 65 hours per week- which translates into at least 10- hour days” (2). Most people find Kristen Bauer as a successful and respected hairdresser. They know how hard she works causing them to see a “role model for

There are numerous ways to define successful aging. The word “aging” usually has a negative connotation. However, when putting the word success behind it introduces positive aspects that can essentially promote a long-term developmental outcome for an individual. Happening around midlife and late adulthood, successful aging is simply when an individual has complete development and maintenance of control throughout life, has achieved in the selection of goals and purposes, as well as maximization of gains and compensations of failure. This is the complete and ultimate goal for those in their late adulthood and is quite fascinating to developmental scientist. Those who engross themselves with attempting to achieve a successful aging will most likely have characteristics which in turn encourage and advocate for things such as health, growth, and vitality, maintaining social encounters and productive activities, and lastly maintaining high physical and cognitive functioning. Two developmental scientist, Vaillant & Mukamal, have discovered the factors that predict satisfaction of life are those an individual is able to control. These factors include are health habits, marital stability, years of education, and coping strategies. On the other hand those factors that are out of an individual 's control can not predict the level of happiness or satisfaction with life. These include the length of life of a family member, early health status, parental SES, and family warmth in