James Shelley recently wrote a very thought-provoking piece on the concept of success. I attempted several times to provide a block quote from this marvelous article, but I decided that it wouldn’t do it justice. I recommend reading the whole thing.

To me, true, pure success falls into two main categories:

  1. As an individual, you experience the feeling of success through progress. Life is a series of tweaks and refinements. It’s about being a little better each day and seeking fulfillment in the means you take to your end. Voids always succeed the attainment of material goals.
  2. As a member of the human race, success is ultimately defined by your ability to help others feel successful and important.

Ultimately, the more you view success as a collection of experiences, not objects, the better off you are.