"A Successful Expedition" by Giulio Rosati (1861-1917)
In this chapter, Lerner and Schlechter discuss the relationship between happiness and success.
With their observations in mind, how would you describe your vision of personal success?
At what point in your pursuit of success do you expect to be happy?
How will you know if you are successful?
Is your definition of success in college different from your definition of success in life?
(Answer any or all of the above.)
My vision of personal success I believe boils down to a handful of questions that largely lead my life. “Am I working hard?” “Am I making progress towards this goal?” “Am I being a role model to others?” If I can look back at the end of the day and answer yes to all of those questions then there’s no other emotions to be had besides pride and happiness. You will know you are successful when you realize that life is hard but you’re pushing forward and making progress towards your goals and dreams, it does not have to be a set point, but can be made up of thousands of small victories every single day. College success and life success I believe can be one and the same. Each area involves the same aspects: hard work, forward progress, pursuit of happiness, etc… I do strongly believe that the foundation for success in life begins in college and the groundwork that you set for yourself now will make all the difference in just how far you can go in life. -Saul Padilla
ReplyDeleteFor context, I'm answering the last question of the post.
ReplyDeleteMy definition of success in college versus success in life will always be conjoined. College and life both have the end goal of accomplishing something. In college, that goal is a degree, and in life, that goal is to have a purpose or to find joy in the limited time we have. Both share the innate desire of accomplishment.
At what point in your pursuit of success do you expect to be happy?
ReplyDeleteReaching the point of happiness as you grow in success is less about the actual feeling of happiness; it’s about feeling satisfied with what you have worked toward accomplishing. For many, that means happiness only comes at the end when you have completed the task you have worked toward for so long. Society has done a great job of placing the expectation that you can only reach the point of happiness when a difficult task you have taken on is done correctly and is recognized and credited by many others. Unfortunately, the reality is that it won’t always work out exactly as we want it to. Tasks won’t always be done in time, or correctly, and it will cause us to fail. So why do we jeopardize our happiness by placing it in the hands of whether we are successful or not? As Richard Branson explains his thought process through success and happiness, I can’t help but notice that he probably decided that he wasn’t going to wait to find happiness in his accomplishments, but rather he found joy in the process of reaching this goal and the relationships that came with it. With this mindset, we are more likely to be successful in the long run anyway.
Lizzie Jones
Is your definition of success in college different from your definition of success in life?
ReplyDeleteMy definition of success is mostly the same for college and life. I actually began this post by answering that my definitions of success were different for each area of my life, but as I began writing my response, I realized they were actually the same! Just as my beliefs and morals(i.e. helping others, serving the Lord, and always trying my best) are the same in college and in life, my definition of success is the same for both. In college, I define success for myself as making good grades, growing in my learning and social abilities, and by leaving a positive imprint everywhere I go on campus; I want to succeed in life in the same way!
-Emma
My vision of success is that I know I have truly done my best or given my all to what I am trying to succeed at. The point in our quest for success that we all expect to be happiest at is the end but I disagree. I believe if you are truly giving your all to what you want to succeed at you will have the most happiness throughout the process. Determining whether or not you are successful comes down to what you decide is successful. If you decide that to meet an end goal is successful then if you meet that goal you are successful but for me personally I don’t know if I can always meet my end goal. I do know that I can give me best effort to reach that, and if I know I did everything I could I will view my attempt to reach that end goal as successful. Seeing as my definition of success in general as knowing you give your full effort to achieve an end goal I do not think success in life is any different than college. Often times people never where successful once in their life because they never scratched the surface of their potential yet they might have a million achievements. They did not give their all they only did what was needed to achieve some end goal.
ReplyDeleteLauren George
ReplyDeleteIs your definition of success in college different from your definition of success in life?
After finally completing my first year as a college student, this is a great question to think about. When I am at school, I define my success by my comprehension and confidence in my classes, the things I learn, and the memories I make with bold old and new friends. Success in college for me means new experiences, ones that are hard to get outside of school.
Success in life, on the other hand, will not be measured by grades or how others think I am doing. In life, I want my success to be measured by the risks I take, doing the things I love, making more memories with friends and family,being happy with my career but not making it a top priority, learning things that simple can't be taught in school. And somewhere in that success is a big log cabin with a couple of dogs.
Is your definition of success in college different from your definition of success in life?
ReplyDeleteTo briefly answer this question, yes. As I approach my freshman year of college, I have set a lot of college-oriented goals for myself. Some of my goals for example are 1. To graduate 2. Graduate with a 4.0 GPA (Like I said, goals) and 3. Getting accepted into a Physical Therapy program after graduating ECU. Meeting all these goals would leave an accomplished, successful feeling, but they wouldn’t quite compare to how I see my overall life success. Working at my dream job, getting married, buying a house, and having children of my own one day is what would truly fulfill my life and would make me feel successful. Although I do hope to meet all my goals, (both college and life goals) at the end of the day, having a family is one of my main goals in life. The way I see it, no matter how much money you make, how big your house is, or how nice your car may be, materialistic things will not fulfill you. Wow, I sound like I’m the author of U Thrive. Maybe this book really is rubbing off on me!
College will be one of the most important aspects of my life for the next few years; therefore, my definition of success bleeds into both areas. At this point in my life, if I am able to stay on top of my work in and out of school, maintain healthy relationships with peers and loved ones, and make time to serve God and the people around me, then I consider myself both successful and happy. The key for me is to take it one day at a time so that I never get too far ahead of myself. However, I know that I am constantly changing and growing in my mindset, so to say this is a definition is not exactly accurate. Definitions exclude the possibility for change. As far as when I expect to find happiness during my pursuit of “success”, the answer is every step of the way. I plan to enjoy the process and make the most of every life chapter, because tomorrow is not promised.
ReplyDeleteWith their observations in mind, how would you describe your vision of personal success?
ReplyDeleteI would describe my vision of success, for most of my life, as a measure of how well I perform in the classroom and on the field. For as long as I can remember my success has been largely defined by how well I hit that weekend at a tournament, how many girls I threw out trying to steal second, what my grade point average was, or how many passballs I had. However, after my first year of college, and after reading this chapter of the book, I realize that I have been misguiding myself on what success really is. A few months ago, I wouldn't have described my first year of college softball as a success, after all for most of the beginning of the season I was "riding the pine." And even though I was successful in the classroom and successful in softball towards the end of the season, I was not successful in other areas of my life, i.e. my decision making, relationships, etc. After I had some time to reflect on this, I realized that my success had no influence on my happiness. I enjoyed my fall semester a lot more than my spring semester, even though my performance on the field was lacking in the fall. After reading this chapter of the book, all of that is starting to make sense.
Jami Watson^^
DeleteAnswering the second question, I don't expect myself to be happy at a certain point in my journey to success, I expect to be happy the entire way there. The way I see it, achieving your goals is a lot like a car trip. It's mostly about the destination, but it would be a shame if we didn't take a detour or stop at a few places along the way. In my opinion, we should try to make the ride just as fun as reaching the end.
ReplyDelete- John G
Is your definition of success in college different from your definition of success in life?
ReplyDeletePersonally, my definitions of success are vastly different. As I am about to begin my freshman year, I have set a few goals for myself. Such as maintaining a 4.0 gpa, making new friends and expanding my circle, finishing my basic classes and getting accepted into the education department at ECU. However, my definition of success in life have nothing to do with grades and everything to do with getting a fantastic job and getting married and starting a family. While everyone measures success differently, these are a few things that would reflect success in my life.
My personal idea of success boils down to two things
ReplyDelete1. Am I happy?
2. Do I feel fulfilled?
If I answer 'no' to either question, then I'm not successful. For me to be successful I want to be happy, fulfilled, and feel like my life has impacted others in a positive manner. College success revolves more around grades, but I think the overall idea should be the same. Am I happy with my classes and performance? Do I feel fulfilled when I do good work? It's all very similar in my mind.
I believe I will know I am successful when I have more good days and happy memories than bad ones. When I know I am putting my all towards my school, work, and personal life while remaining grateful and with no stress. My biggest goal is to reach a fulfillment of happiness above all other things no matter what hardships may occur.
ReplyDeleteMallory Forgione
DeleteI believe we need to be happy at whatever stage of life we are in; we cannot go through life thinking we will be happy when we graduate college, get my first job, get into professional school, etc. We should find things and people who make us happy in our lives now. We should always be trying to encourage people and make their day just a little brighter, whether that is complementing their hair or talking to them in class. We never know the impact it could have on their day or their lives. Happiness should not come after we believe we have succeeded at something; we should be experiencing happiness as we go through the process of it. When we graduate college, we will be happy not because we believe we have succeeded but because we can look back and have satisfaction knowing what we have achieved and accomplished and the friendships we made and the knowledge we gained.
ReplyDeleteMy definition of success is determined by how I live, how I treat others, and how hard I work. My vision of success in college is very similar to my vision in life but not completely the same. In college if I study hard and do everything in my power to make the best grades that I can in order to better prepare me for a future career, then I believe I have succeeded. I believe success in college can also be achieved by always showing respect to each and every one of my professors. In life, I determine success based on several things. Work ethic and respect are two of them just like in college. I believe a successful life can also be determined by how well I treat other people, even those that may not treat me right. However, my most important way of determining success in life is whether or not I live to honor God. I believe that if I’m not willing to live for something greater than myself, than life isn’t worth living. I don’t think that being successful necessarily means that I will always be happy. There will always be times in life where I get down and discouraged. However, I can’t ever let discouragement cause me to give up. I must always get back up and continue to do everything in life to the best of my ability.
ReplyDeleteMy personal version of success would have to be how I impacted the people around me. Did I leave a positive impact or am I remembered as someone who they didn't like. I want to be role model to the people around me both young and old. I want people to look at me and want to follow in how I lead.
ReplyDeleteHow will you know if you are successful? I think just look around at the people around me. If I can see that I am leaving a positive impact on them, I think that's pretty successful to me.
Is your definition of success in college different from your definition of success in life?
ReplyDeleteI feel my answer should be that my definition of success in college is the same as my definition of success in life. However, if I am to remain true to myself, it seems that success is slightly different for college than for life, but at the same time connected to my end goal or the finale of my life.
Success in college is complicated, with multiple parts to the puzzle.
Friendship. Make lifetime friends who will be on the side of you that aims towards the good.
Good Grades. Me making A's in all my courses to maintain a 4.0 GPA is critical to success in college. Although, this part of success is only to achieve a further goal of graduate school. But graduate school is not where the chain stops either. It continues to my career and then to finding stability for my family.
Obtaining Friends and maintaining good grades are the key pieces to building, if you would, the chair of success. But what about life success?
I do not think success in college can be defined as success in life because the situations and events that will inevitably occur at both times will not be the same.
And the latter thought brings me to my final answer to what I feel is a poor question. Success cannot be measured by stages of one's time on earth (college vs. life). Instead, success is measured in the perseverance to continue in the trials that arise in the stages of life. However, to persevere implies that there is a reason beyond yourself that gives life meaning, regardless of whether you believe that or not.
So, I guess my final answer is I do not define success in life's stages but define success by striving to understand and keep working towards the reason for being. What is the reason for being? Definitionally, that thing must be God.
When I was very young, I tried to be in control of nearly every part of my life. Whether it was demonstrated in how I attempted to shape my own image and how others perceived me or how well I did in school, I was constantly in a race against control. During this time of my life, I would have told you that personal success was being in complete control, being able to be the best possible me at every single moment. Eventually, I accepted the fact that this was a self-destructive mindset, that my personal expectations were damaging my quality of life.
ReplyDeleteSince then, my own vision of personal success has evolved greatly. I still try to hold a good image and do my best in all areas of life, but I give myself room to breathe. I don’t dwell on things that aren’t in my immediate control if I have done all I can to improve the situation.
I think that I am currently successful. I have good grades, a great friend group, and an improving self-image. I still fail and have much to learn, but success doesn’t have to be one great thing. I have large goals that I hope to achieve, but I also have smaller, more immediate goals in which I choose to find joy and happiness in accomplishing. As long as I continue working towards a better self and a quality life with a good mindset, I think that I am successful in living.
Is your definition of success in college different from your definition of success in life?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I would say my definition of success in college is very similar to my definition of success in life. I know I will feel successful in college as long as I also feel happy/content with what I am doing, as I am just that kind of person. If we are talking about life in general, I would say this same thing. If I am happy with the things I am doing in life, I will feel successful. To feel successful in college, I know I will want to be involved with as many things possible, as well as maintaining great mental health and good grades. This applies to life too, as I feel more successful as a person when I am trying to be more outgoing/involved.
My definition of success in college and in life are not really any different. What my definition is, is “do your best, sometimes you might fail, but that’s okay because that’s part of success.” as much as I’d like everything to be as perfect as they can be, Sometimes I believe it is okay to just sit down and reorganize your stuff. I believe that if you are able to make mistakes and learn from them, then you will be more successful in the long run. I believe I know I will be successful when everything feels like my hard work paid off. Nothing is perfect, everything has their little problems.
ReplyDeleteMy personal definition of success is being the best that I can possibly be, for the sake of God and my loved ones. I want to try my hardest at everything I do, and appreciate life as much as possible. I want to consistently improve as a person, so that I’m always getting better. I want to make other people’s lives better, and I want to help people as much as I can. And as long as I hold those values I’d consider myself successful. I don’t expect to ever be always happy in life. Genuine happiness is a fleeting feeling that should be appreciated in the moments you can capture it, but to always be chasing after that feeling of happiness or expecting yourself to always be happy, will lead to nothing but failure. I don’t think I’ll ever know when I’m successful, because I plan to continuously improve until I die. Which is a good thing, in my opinion, because it means I always have something to work towards.
ReplyDeleteIf you asked me even 6 months ago while I prepared to graduate high school. When did I expect to be happy, I would have said when I had the diploma in my hands. Then I had it in my hands and the happiness did not stay exceptionally long, then the stress kicked in about the next big steps in life. When I honestly think about happiness in the pursuit of success, I would say never permanent happiness because we always expect more after we achieve what we said would make us happy. We must find happiness in the insignificant things on the journey to success.
ReplyDeleteAllie Brown
At what point in your pursuit of success do you expect to be happy?
ReplyDeleteis the question I am answering above.
My definition of success in college is very different from my definition of success in my life. In college, I define success as passing every class and making career connections for the future, and getting myself to and out of graduate school. In my life, I think my definition would be to make lifelong friends and people I can depend on, while also having a job I love in a career field I enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI will know when I am successful when I can look back on my life at the people and opportunities that shaped who I am and who I will be.
I expect to be happy from a career standpoint whenever I graduate with my PhD and get a job I love. From a social standpoint, I am already happy because I am with my friends here at ECU, and I hope we will still be friends in the years to come
Aldan Gallaway
ReplyDeleteAt what point in your pursuit of success do you expect to be happy?
How will you know if you are successful?
In my pursuit of success, I would expect to be happy and fulfilled when I have reached the top. When I have reached the peak. When I have finally completed the journey and reached “success”. However, all too often, I find that the journey is more enjoyable than the climax. When you reach what you’ve been working for, you are satisfied and happy, but all too soon you are looking for something new to do. A new challenge, a new unknown. Oftentimes, when a sports team wins a championship, less than a week afterward they are already back preparing for the next season, whether it be working out, preparing themselves mentally, or working with teammates. I find that the same thing can apply to myself and many of my friends. Yes, we are happy that we’ve completed one task, but we look to the next one with excitement, and we begin working towards new success. But what is success? For me, success is defined not by what I’ve done at the end of a journey, but by what the people around me have done. If I’ve been happy and successful in my endeavors, but the people around me have struggled and not been able to succeed, did I really succeed? I would be much happier, and to be frank, more successful in my eyes if I have helped other people along the way and helped them realize their dreams and goals, even if I wasn’t as “successful”. To me, that is true success, and a sign of true leadership, when the people around you thrive just as well as you.
How would you describe your vision of personal success?
ReplyDeleteYou either win or you don't . There are no participation trophies in my mind. I either met my goal or I didn't. Sure, good things could have come of the journey, but this doesn't take place for the victory. Success occurs when a goal has been met. One has to create goals trailered to ones realistic potential.
At what point in your pursuit of success do you expect to be happy?
I would hope happiness is had from start to end. Why be unhappy when initiating something worth seeking? "Satisfied", I believe is a better word to use here rather than "happy". So, at what point in your pursuit of success do you expect to be satisfied you might ask?
When my goal has been met.
This question is dumb, next.
How will you know if you are successful?
When the goal that I set for myself prior to initiating has been met in full. Simple.
Is your definition of success in college different from your definition of success in life?
No. The definition of success does not change, what changes are the goals that are sought after.
Is your definition of success in college different from your definition of success in life?
ReplyDeleteThe short answer and simple answer is; Yes, success in college is different than in life. The long and more interesting answer; No, success in College is something I feel is very connected to success in life.
Does this introduction sound ridiculous and self important? Yeah, most definitely, but I feel that this is the best way to answer the question. Before I really delved into this book and before I even began my college journey I viewed it all as an end goal. I thought that college was simply a collection of tough classes that I have to take. Once I finished my classes then I'd go to my dorm, study, sleep, repeat. And granted I probably am going to be doing quite a bit of that, but The thing is I am missing out on so much. I new definition is a very different take, mostly influenced by what I've heard about college over the last couple of weeks. Success in college is 50% academia and 50% experience. And honestly I believe that Life is the same way. When I leave University I am going to be constantly learning lessons and teaching lessons to those around me. I will be working a job, but also I will be spending time with friends, and raising a family. It's not just the tedium that makes up life. But also you have to have tedium to fill up life. It's balanced and that is why a successful life in college and in the "real world" is the same
Is your definition of success in college different than your definition of success in life?
ReplyDeleteMy definitions of success in college and life are similar and tied in together as one can lead to the success of the other. The definition of success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. Along with this definition, I see the success of college as accomplishing your aim to study and getting a degree in a certain area for the purpose of your future success in life. Success in life requires finding a certain purpose/goal, and being able to accomplish that throughout your lifetime. Overall. I think each person's definition of success will and should be different because every person will have different goals or aims in life.
Personally, I feel successful when I know that I am working hard, have set goals and am working to meet them, and see results through my hard work. Seeing your hard work day off is when you feel the pride and happiness. I think that my definition of success in college and in life go hand in hand. Personally, I view my success in college as a success in life. I know that doing well and being successful in college will lead me to be successful in whatever I do in the future. For that reason, I view success in college and in life as closely related.
ReplyDeleteMy own personal vision of success is truly dependent on how I feel about myself at any given time. When I tend to feel bad about myself on any given day, personal success is simply “Have I gotten out of bed today?” “Am I eating right?” On any other normal day, personal success is more about how my productivity is. The pursuit of my own personal success will only make me happy if I can slowly lower the amount of weaker days, slowly becoming productive in the things that I enjoy. In this sense, college success and personal success go hand in hand for me, as these exact same issues apply.
ReplyDeleteSuccess in my eyes is reaching my goals and consistently feeling fulfilled and accomplished. Reaching long term goals will make me successful in life, but I also have to maintain happiness in the present or else I won't reach those goals. Therefore happiness should be consistent on the path to success. obviously there will be good days and bad days, but as long as I maintain my happiness and productivity carefully I will still feel fulfilled. That sense of fulfillment tells me if I'm on the right track.
ReplyDeleteAt what point in your pursuit of success do you expect to be happy?
ReplyDeleteWell, as the book discusses, happiness leads to success. Sure there are times that are not fun, but that is just life in general. I do my best to just get over it. My goal is to be simultaneously happy and successful. As the authors in the book state, if you constantly experience positive emotions then you will benefit from them. Having a good mood almost always correlates to having good days. Being in a bad mood usually results in your day going even further downhill. I am sure everyone here, including myself, have experienced this and understand. If I am having good day after good day, I am going to achieve my goals faster, and achieving my own goals result in making me happier. So ideally, I would like to be happy both while pursuing my goals, and while enjoying the success.
My vision of personal success is a place where I am satisfied with the work I have done, and the state of mind I am in. In order to fulfill these, I have questions that need to be adequately answered. For example, “Is the work that I am putting out helpful to someone,” “Am I proud of said work,” and “Am I happy with where I am at?” These are questions I need to have answered positively for me to consider it a personal success.
ReplyDeleteIn my pursuit of success, I expect to be happy when I can confidently say “I am making a difference.” I do not care if it is simple as brightening someone’s day with a smile or if I am saving someone's life as a neurosurgeon. As long as I can help positively impact someone in any shape or form, I can be content with myself.
DeleteI consider success as anything that we try to do with all our capabilities and knowledge with pure joy, and with the intention of learning something new. I will just think about growing better than yesterday rather than having a feeling or an intention of competition with any others. Just as Richard Branson said which is mentioned on the Chapter 1, "Most people would assume my business success,
ReplyDeleteand the wealth that comes with it, have brought me happiness. But they
haven’t—in fact it’s the reverse. I am successful, wealthy, and connected
because I am happy", I think happiness opens the door for every good feelings and good opportunities. I don't know who said this, "Whatever you see and you get, it's your own reflection", but, this quote has always inspired me to be a happy person to get good things or success. I will know that I am successful by observing my own level of happiness. Just good grades and being winner in every contest is not the definition of success, in my point of view. I think doing one's best to do whatever is required and learning various things while in that process, is a success. That might give us either a place of a winner or also a winner (a winner who succeeded to obtain a new knowledge/skills).