I’ll start by saying I think I may have crashed the TED site sending your link and then Rikin’s to my sales people. I kind of feel weak saying anything to describe anything after Wooden’s video, but here goes…

In keeping with the language route, I’d like to re-introduce the word laureate into our vocabularies. This is something that used to be used a lot (as laurus or laureatus, to crown with laurel) and it was awarded to people as they posted achievements in various fields (most notably in our times the Olympic games and Nobel Prizes.) Laureate can be used in both noun and adjective forms per the Meriam-Webster folks…

I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out how it would be used in the same way as success, but am drawing a blank. How’s that for some rambling…did I lose my “smart people” points?
Elisa´s last blog ..BlogCrush – Jenny Blake

I completely agree with Elisa’s observation about re-looking at the way we understand and speak about success.

Most comments on success imply its is about getting ‘up the ladder’ bigger, better things etc

We’re all still emerging from an old command-control-winner takes all way of thinking: which implies some people have to lose in order for other to be perceived successful.

I don’t discount the importance of reaching goals, but have an issue with straitjacketing what success is – at a personal level and how that ripples through society.

Is a spiritual teacher more/less successful than the world’s richest man?

[Success vs influence --- don't get me started! ]

If someone chooses travelling to every country of the world as their ’success benchmark’ is he less successful than someone who gets to travel to many countries as a part of his job/ lifestyle as an artist or a businessperson.

We (including me) like to impose our view of success on everyone else, but don’t want to be judged ourselves!

My personal list of success benchmarks, currently has this on it:

Did I fulfill what today’s must dos are?
Did I give or receive something unasked?
Did I play/ experiment with something new today?
What did I learn and share thats not work-related?
Have I created something for tomorrow?
Was I joyful today?

I’d rate as successful, the day’s there are more ayes to these questions.

Thank you for bringing about this discussion.

Cheers,
Anita Lobo

I really like that you took a different approach from those prior to you here. Language is an important perspective to be comfortable/familiar with. If we’re confused from the onset (and language certainly has the ability to do that), then you’re right, how do we encapsulate what we’re trying to say so that we can unpack the intricacies in such a way that make sense?

I LOVE that Rikin. I think that’s a phenomenal way to define success. On your own terms, and whether or not you did something to improve YOUR situation. Whether it’s your job, your relationships, your weight lifting obsession that seems to fit the bill.

And I also really appreciate the difference in reputation and character. I had never really thought about it that way. I’m definitely going to adopt this. Thanks so much for taking the time to add value to this post (and my life) today.

What then? Is is just a different ceiling? How do you measure all those different pieces together? Should we?

I also like your view of measuring yourself against competition as a motivation factor, but also the downside to that approach. That’s an interesting study in of itself. You and I might have a grip on what we want to achieve, who we can emulate to get there, but younger kids don’t. They’re watching our narcissistic celeb culture and imitating Britney, Paris, Lindsey, etc. — And now you have me on a tangent.