This Is The Most Fulfilling Way To Define Personal Success

I have come to find that the most fulfilling way to define personal success is to do it at every step along the way.

Most people look for some grand, overarching idea of success.

Villa, Mansions, Yachts, Prizes, Achievements, Legacies, Legends, Everlasting Happiness, Power, Influence, the whole thing.

And while it’s not bad to have an overarching idea, it will not fulfill you.

Success is not something that lasts, nor is it something that, once obtained, will make the whole journey feel worthwhile.

It’s not in reaching it that you will feel fulfilled but in the process itself!

In this case I would define personal success as the journey itself.

It’s in having a goal that we allow ourselves to go on these journeys and that’s the fun part in all of it!

The journey itself is the part that makes us feel fulfilled!

It’s just that most of us do not seem to recognize this.

We are in such a hurry to get to this overarching idea we have of success that we do not see the parts that really make us happy.

The little things, the joy along the way, the struggle and the relief thereof, and the constant ups and downs are what makes it all feel worthwhile.

I mean, think about it: School wasn’t fun because you got your diploma, college wasn’t fun because you got your degree and no achievement was fun because of the moment you received the achievement.

The fun in all of these was found in the midst of the struggle!

I think that if we just took a moment to look at the journey itself, that if we stopped and allowed ourselves to feel successful for just being on the journey, for struggling, fighting and deciding to go on, we would feel far more fulfilled!

Take a look at where you are in this very moment and allow your chest to fill with pride!

You have fought to get here, you have been on one crazy journey and you still have so much left to explore in your life!

So many moments of laughter, joy and moments that just take your breath away!

So many kisses, comforts, joyful tears and so, so much still to do!

Isn’t that already a success?

And I know you’ve been wanting to find a place where you feel you belong and to find a time where you can feel like you’ve finally made it, but in a way you have always had both!

You are alive right now.

You have done things that are worthy of feeling successful for and have already achieved so much just by living each day the best way you can.

Sure things haven’t always been the best, but you are still here; you are still trying!

And if you just stopped to appreciate the fact that you are alive in this very moment, I bet you would feel far more fulfilled and far more successful than if you reached those crazy, overarching ideas of yours.

Originally published at http://quora.com.