Okayyyy

I wasn't sure exactly what to blog about tonight until a good friend gave me a topic a few minutes ago. It's about society's view of success, and just how skewed it is.

"In a world where success is marked by a blue check mark next to your twitter name," is how it will start. Sadly that is the world we live in. The blue check verifies you are someone famous, someone of importance, and someone worth following. These accounts are those of actors, comedians, sports stars, musicians, and fortune 500 company executives. These people are "successful" for various reasons. Whether they created the iPod or hit 500 home runs or had one platinum record. We view success in terms of money way too often.

Forbes magazine constantly shows power rankings for who the wealthiest men in the world are. Personally, I prefer to read about all the money Bill Gates gave away.

Sure money usually means someone did something right, but at the same time there are heirs and heiresses all over the world whose only reason for fame and fortune is the blood that runs through their veins. Money cannot be what we use to determine how successful someone is.

Usually fame shows a level of success. Whether it's for scoring 60 points in a game or having the number 1 album on iTunes people who are famous are usually thought of as successful.

To me success is much more than that. You don't need money or fame to be successful. You don't have to be known worldwide, or revered for some immaculate deed you've done. It's the little things that indicate success.

 It's making someone laugh when they're down, or telling someone you're proud of them. It's letting people know you care about them and that you'd do anything for them. It's about finding good people and surrounding yourself with them. Success can be moving on from something in your past that held you down. Success can be as minuscule as a C on a test you planned on failing. Success is something that you can't measure in money or by if someone has a Wikipedia  page about them.

Our world today tends to idolize those people we will never be like or never even meet. We idolize actors and actresses whose only difference from you or I is their good looks and their in with someone in the industry. We're all people, living life, trying to be successful.

Success can be as peaceful and beautiful as realizing how happy you are. Or admitting you love your life. If you can admit you love where you are in life then I'd say you're as successful as you'll ever be. If you aren't happy with what you're doing but you're making millions of dollars doing it are you successful? The answer to me is hell no.

Please watch this video about success. If you haven't seen it it will make you cringe. It talks about wanting to be successful. About what it takes to be successful. It talks a lot about money, but it's about so much more than that. It's about having the desire to be successful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UizlkbS61mQ

Watch it. I promise it won't disappoint.

I know how bad I want to be successful, and that's why I am up right now at 12 o'clock doing what I love. I don't want to miss out.

I know one thing for certain about success. I know I don't need anybody to tell me I am successful, and I certainly don't need some blue check mark next to my name either. All I need, is me.

I have another video worth watching as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEVCjUG1Mww&feature=related

I'm not a fan of basketball at all, but the message MJ sends here is clear. He demands respect and he is a man anybody can look up to. The words spoken in this video are guaranteed to give you chills. I love it.

One more thing for the night. Just a summary of today. Today was a good day, and the good days are outweighing the bad so I am, in essence, successful. I love the people in my life, and I know they love me. I have people who will blame me for things I've done. But as I carry on day by day I sometimes look back, but looking back I realize that I regret nothing. 

I have no room in my life for regret, I'm saving that space for other things. Things like friends, family, teammates, teachers, anyone who shows me that they belong in my life. Regret is a cancer to the body, and once you expel regret from your life you'll become happier, I promise you that.  Regret, you are not welcome here.

NP: Dani California- Red Hot Chili Peppers