What is Success
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‍‍It’s a question I ask myself a lot—or at least, it’s often lingering somewhere in my mind (It’s also more constructive than asking, ‘What do I want?’ ).

It lingers because the man-made world is very persuasive and persistent in its definition of success. And if you’re not careful, you can go through life trying to hit those outside measurements.
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Ask a reasonable person for their definition of success, and you’ll probably get something like this: a loving family, work I enjoy, health, enough money to live comfortably, and having no one who can tell me what to do or where to be.
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That’s a good answer—especially in a time where, for a lot of people, even that isn’t enough.
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But even without craving fame, fortune, and a Lambo, all the things listed above are still very much outside-world conditions. What about the time before or after one hits those goals? What happens if one or more of them disappear, change, or never happen in the first place? Does that mean there’s a dent in your success?
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The implied goal of those life circumstances is presumably your mind going, “Great, I feel good and at ease.” That’s it.
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And as a human, that makes total sense. We want our little tribe, love, no unnecessary suffering, monetary and physical freedom.
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But depending on so many outside factors before one’s mind is at ease creates endless opportunities for unhappiness.
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The actual moments where all of these things come together are few and far between—if they come at all.
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That brings me back to the definition of success—or at least, my personal one.

I’m not okay with waiting and working toward these goals (which indeed would be nice to achieve) while not being content in the moment. True success comes from the quality of each moment, without the often subtle longing for some different future or past.

Success, for me, is being deeply involved in now—writing these words, getting a glass of water, or designing something that pops up in my mind.
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That doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing those other outside goals.

Quite the opposite. Life works in a way where, when you are deeply present in the moment and keep your internal compass in check, slowly, bit by bit, the outside will follow.
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It’s like the missing second part of success that’s easy to ignore. We try to rush straight for the hills. But even if you muscle through—have luck, talent, and persistence—you won’t even know how to enjoy it once you arrive. And you may have missed out on a successful life in the first place.
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As Eckhart Tolle says so eloquently: You cannot become successful. You can only be successful. Don’t let a mad world tell you that success is anything other than a successful present moment. And what is that? It’s a sense of quality in what you do, even the simplest action.