HokeyReligions Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 This was prompted by something someone said in another thread about successful people and debt. How do you define success? What do you think being successful means? How will you know if you are a successful person? What people or types of people do you look at and think "she/he is successful" ?? Be realistic - how do you REALLY and HONESTLY measure success? Not how you think success should be measured. Link to post Share on other sites
Tony T Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 There is only one way to measure success and that's whether or not you are happy with your life. There are very wealthy people who are miserable, in bad health, have family problems, etc. As a matter of fact, I personally know several multimillionaires who are the most unhappy people alive. There are very poor people in the same position. Success is clearly living a life that is fulfilling and content and doing what you want to do the most. No other way to measure it. Link to post Share on other sites
Author HokeyReligions Posted September 18, 2003 Author Share Posted September 18, 2003 Tony - can you introduce me to those unhappy millionaires? I'll find a way to make 'em happy! Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 Buzz off, Hokey - cripes, you already have a husband!!! Make way for those of us still 'in the market'! I'm quite a cheery person; I'm sure I could straighten them out Link to post Share on other sites
Author HokeyReligions Posted September 18, 2003 Author Share Posted September 18, 2003 Moimeme! Tony knows several - I just want one - for a little while - you can have all the others (I'm sure you can handle multiple millionaires!) Link to post Share on other sites
yes Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 I second Tony's definition. People waste way too much time comparing themselves to others in terms of everything possible... it's the worst habit ever! -yes Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 (I'm sure you can handle multiple millionaires!) I assure you I would make the most valiant of attempts to do so Link to post Share on other sites
Tony T Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 I have many male friends with lots of money, some married, some not. Of the ones who are married, only one has a wife who is truly happy and she's only happy because of herself and NOT because of the money. One is married to a doctor and she basically does her own thing and acts the trophy part when she needs to. The majority of them are abused and/or controlled in some way. I have one lady friend who is married to a rich guy who wants out in the worst way but is terrified that he will hire a big time lawyer to drag her through the bushes so she comes out with very little. Ladies, I think if you want a rich husband you ought to have one...at least for a while. Get a prenupt ahead of time and specify what you will get in case things don't work out. And hope you don't find a guy like Donald Trump, who fought his agreement with his first wife Ivana. The Donald filed for divorce to his second wife, Marla, only one day before her prenupt would have taken her from $1 million to $10 million. He ain't no fool. I am deeply saddened but so much of it is all about money. Even when you aren't married to a millionaire, if the guy doesn't make a fairly good living there's not much of a chance you'll have a happy marriage. Sufficient money is an essential ingredient and that's OK to strive for. I think you'll find yourself really unhappy if you seek out the big bucks. Link to post Share on other sites
Heidi2 Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 I view success to mean what you as a person want it to mean. For example, what's the difference between going to college or working straight out of high school?? This is entirely ones choice of preference,etc. There is no right or wrong way of doing things.. It's (in my opinion) what you as a person feel(s) is the right thing to do & at the same time happy about doing so. A person whom has went on and achieved to get his/her PH.D could very well be as happy as someone who's working at some local store or business, w/o having that (title, so to speak). Anyways, those are just my intakes of this matter. Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 Tony, we're kidding. I gotta tell you, it'd be nice to not have to prostitute myself to indentured servitude so that I can have shelter and food. When I think of it, though, being married to one of those people could not be as bad as some of the job situations I've been in and at least I wouldn't have to spend my days doing something I don't care about for a living. I don't think either is better than the other in terms of how one makes one's way in life. However, I'm still an idealist so I'll stick to my principles. I could've been hitched and well-supported again and again if I wasn't. Dagnab principles. Link to post Share on other sites
Author HokeyReligions Posted September 18, 2003 Author Share Posted September 18, 2003 I don't want to marry one of the milliionaires Tony - I just want to make him happy enough to loan me his American Express card for a weekend! As for Marla and the $1M -- why - that's plenty for me! As for success - the way I look at it is there are different kinds of success. I have a very successful marriage. We are together, we are happy, we get past our fights and still love each other. We support each other, and neither of us could imagine life without the other. Financial - well, I'm successful there too. I'm making $10,000 a year less then I did last year, and I have no health insurance. But - I was unemployeed for a few weeks so I'm lucky to have a job at all. We still have our house and our car and we don't have much debt - we can almost make ends meet but have nothing in reserve. We are still successful financially though. My husband can't work, but I can. To be successful is to find happiness. And happiness is priceless and everyone can afford it. Some people confuse happiness with other things. A new car would sure make me happy - but it would not instill or maintain an inner happiness or contentment. Link to post Share on other sites
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