AlanAbar.com

Many people in society define “Success” as a well-paid career, a big home, named brand clothing, and a luxury car. Obviously not every does, but many do - and this perception can influence or impact how we live our lives.

I just read how Ralph Waldo Emerson defines success:

To laugh often and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children;
To earn the approval of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one’s self without the slightest thought of return;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a rescued soul, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiam and sung with exaltation;
To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;
This is to have succeeded.

All aspects of Emerson’s definition of success are attainable away from the workplace, and does not focus on material items as a source of happiness / success.