My daughter would say, “throw them at people”.

This is a phrase that reminds us to make the most of things. There are no guarantees in life. Not money, not time, not love, and not success. If one keeps moving forward and doesn’t give up, great things can happen. Perserverance is the key to almost everything we try to accomplish in our lives. No matter how much we plan and prepare there will be bumps in the road. Roadblocks, walls, valleys, canyons even. But fear not, where there is a valley there is a road to the other side, where there is a roadblock there is a detour. Where there is a wall, there is a ladder, and where there is a canyon, there is a bridge to cross or at least a donkey to ride your way out. Is it luxurious, absolutely not. The sweetness is on the other side of not giving up.

Those in history that were most successful had perseverance. They believed in themselves when others didn’t and pushed forward until they reached their ultimate destination. It was a difficult road, one of ridicule and defeat. Yet they continued until they made it. They are the people we learn about in school. They are famous by today’s standards for multiple reasons including sports, tech, politics, food, design and much more. You name it, someone’s probably famous for it. However, fame is not what this is about. Very few people desire fame.

Succeeding means many different things to different people. Sometimes it can mean financial gain and comfort. Sometimes it means simply reaching a goal one has in place for themselves. It could be a promotion at a job. It could be buying a house or a new car. Success is certainly in the eye of the beholder. We usually think of success as moving in an upward direction.

What if success is a step down. What if you made it to the top but were unhappy. What if stepping back was more in line with your values. Being driven and strong is great but if we are too driven, we forget to stop where we are happiest. Society tells us to keep going until we reach the top. Keep going on to the next thing. To the next level. But then what? When we get there, then what? I know I repeated myself, but this is a huge question. If we focus too much on the future, we miss what is right here, right now. If we keep pushing for the next thing, we can’t appreciate what we currently have.

There is no way to sum up this completely contradictory topic by everyone’s standard of what success is as they are all so different. But one thing will always be true and certain….

Happiness is the best level of success. Make Happiness our success! We can never go wrong with this. Love the people around us and allow ourselves to be loved. Take in all the precious moments life gives us. Spend time with the ones we love.