Revisiting Success
From time to time, a random word invades my brain and echos inside repeatedly until, eventually, I question everything about it—its assigned meaning, its sound and essence. Has it ever happened to you?
More recently, as I deepen my writing practice, I deliberately return to this exercise of mine—and potentially of all of us—to develop an autopsied dictionary to rely on. For instance, not long ago, I learned that the meaning of autopsy extends beyond the examination of a body after death to determine the cause of death, to signify the act of seeing with one's own eyes (auto + opsis).
Today, I feel inspired to exercise with you with a buzzword of our times: success. Why, you may ask? Well, I suspect that, like me, you want to be a successful individual. And yet, the conventional definitions of success we often hear in the public sphere sometimes fall short of encompassing our diverse longings for achievement.
Let’s get our virtual hands dirty and see what this word is about.
I usually start the exercise by mentalizing the potential formal definitions of the term I’m dissecting. In the case of success, I intuit it relates to achievement, and more specifically, the attainment of wealth, fame or social recognition. What do you think?
Then, holding the old big block on my lap (I like the international Merriam-Webster dictionary), I verify its meaning. Here’s what I read:
1a: a degree or measure of succeeding.
Isn’t it clarifying when definitions use words from the same family of the term you’re checking to define it? Let’s continue, shall we?
1b: a favorable or desired outcome
also: the attainment of wealth, favor or eminence
Somewhat related to my anticipated definition. Onward:
2: one that succeeds
Thanks!
3 obsolete: outcome, result
Intriguing that the most encompassing meaning is now obsolete. Let’s check the etymology of the word to understand its context more profoundly:
Latin successus, from succcedere
And if you check the definition of the latter, you’ll read:
to follow after another in order
to turn out well
to attain a desired object or end
For the sake of intellectual indulgence, in the sentences that follow, I'll entertain the latter, more classical definition of success. Which, untouched by contemporary reductionisms, simply signifies to follow through on your chosen path.
I appreciate that this definition doesn't default to a specific predetermined path, i.e., the attainment of fame, money or wealth.
And if the aspiring successful individual is lucky—and deliberate enough—they might even get to decide the path for themselves. In this case, what deems them successful is the completion of their chosen course, as opposed to leaving such judgments to external eyes and criteria.
Let’s examine an example:
A creative writer wrote two books, none of which were published.
Well, if the writer is on a path to commercial success, then sure, they failed to succeed in their desired outcome. Now, if the writer intended to write two excellent books, if the books' craft is any good, independently of whether or not the books got published, the writer might have succeeded indeed.
So, the question here is: what path do you want to walk, towards what end goal, and perhaps most importantly, who’s defining it?
Warmly,
Carlota
Listen
Aligned with the theme of revisiting success, this month, I conversed with my friend and yoga teacher Joana Leite de Castro.
Her desired outcome, working for three years as a global marketeer at a US multinational pharmaceutical company in her early twenties, was to become the CEO of Coca-Cola or Google.
Not long after, however, Joana realized she was unfulfilled. She quit, packed her suitcase, and ventured to Africa to build a school from scratch with a friend.
She spend the following three years traveling the world, until, eventually, she settled in Porto, her hometown, slowly but surely, walking the path toward becoming a yoga teacher and the founder of the Shambho Yoga Studio.
Together we unpack Joana's story of becoming to discover insights and better questions to accompany us on our own journey of living into maturity more wisely.