Success. It is a word that means many things to different people. To me, the word means attaining things in life that I never thought would be possible for me or others to do. It is not something that can be physically seen but is rather a state of mind. This is because success can only be truly defined by a person in such a way that the word and his concept of the word fit his current status or situation. However, some people tend to define success more on the material definition of the word. For example, if a person is a doctor with a big house, an expensive car, and living what the others view as a luxurious life that they cannot afford to indulge in, then that doctor is a success.
In terms of word etymology, the word success was based upon the original Latin word successes that meant “an advance succession or happy outcome.” But the etymology for success does not end there. In reality, successes evolved from the word succedere. Succedere originally meant “come close after.” Due to the varied origins of the word, the closest historical account my research could show regarding the first use of the word could only date back to its first verbal use to the year 1586.
Although I believe that the word has varied meanings pertaining to the way it is applied, there is actually only one real meaning for the word that is accepted as its proper definition. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word in three ways. First, as “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.” The second is ” the attainment of fame, wealth or social status.” Third, as a “person or thing that achieves success.”
From these definitions, we can deduce what the term “success” does not mean. It does not mean simply planning to accomplish something in life but never actually working towards achieving it. It is perhaps far simpler to explain that success is the opposite of failure—a word that means unsuccessful attempts to do things in life. Therefore, success should never be defined as half-hearted attempts to accomplish or achieve an end goal. It is either you achieve your goal and become a success, or you do not and become a failure. There is no middle ground in defining success.
Going back to my definition of the word, I firmly believe that success is a state of mind wherein a person sees the things he has done in his life and finds joy and happiness in its outcomes. Success can only be defined by the person who had to work hard to achieve his plans or defeat the obstacles in his path. It is achieving in life what you thought you could not and constantly pushing yourself self to discover your limitations in life.
A person must work hard to become a success because it is not something that a person is born into. Neither is it an inborn talent that just shows itself. I would like to present myself as a clear example of success. I came to this country with some plans in mind for myself to achieve, and I have worked hard to achieve some of them within the past two years. Do I define myself as a success even though not all my plans have been fulfilled? Yes, I do. I have worked hard to get to where I am today. That, in my opinion, is the true definition of success.