MAJORITY of the people from the different walks of life strive hard in order to become rich and wealthy. Many construed success as having wealth and power. This perception is instilled in the minds of almost everyone.
However, there are also those who rely on God’s generosity as they resort to faith and destiny. These people are already contented with whatever they have or wherever fate brings them. Still others, especially in some rural areas in the country strongly believe that the world will end very soon. Such belief constrain them to work hard in order to improve their living.
Success is very broad and has so many definitions. It totally depends on ones level of satisfaction, understanding and exposure. There are families who are rich, wealthy and powerful, yet ended up a broken home due to so much love for money. Money in general is just a medium of exchange of goods and services and to some extent pleasure and happiness. It is not an end in itself.
I think success has at least three characteristics. First is that one is successful if he can at least provide for himself and his family their basic needs. It is an achievement at least if one is independent and self-sufficient and not a burden to anyone around him or her. The person does not need to own the world, but at least he or she is productive enough to support his or her family.
Second is that he or she has gained the respect of the community. This comes with good reputation and regarded by the community as relatively notable. We are born social and we exist in a community. Part f our struggle in life is blending and mixing with everyone as we actualize ourselves. A successful person is one who has managed to forge good relations with others and have gained other people’s respect.
Third is that he or she has contributed to the development of the community. As the saying goes “no man is an island” each of us is also called to pitch in and contribute to the building and development of a more humane society - one that promotes justice and human dignity. While others spend the rest of their lives pursuing only their interests, they failed to render their social and moral obligation to the community. Giving back to the community is a higher calling and for anyone to fulfill such in his own ways is truly worth recognizing.
Yes, people have different definitions of success, but if one is self-sufficient, is well respected, and has contributed to the growth of the community, he or she has pretty much enjoyed life and reached the fullness of his or her destiny.