“Successful” Is The Last Thing You Want To Be — Here’s Why.

Fame, bewitching beauty, and generational wealth: The modern definition of fame is as tempting to pursue as it is deceptive.

Not only is it unrealistic, but it is equally toxic and dangerous to anyone who gives into it. Sadly, my generation has committed its whole existence to these ideals.

Let me explain why “success” threatens my generation, and how you can redefine it.

Why our modern perception of success is so threatening.

Many of us know the feeling of not being enough. The feeling of emptiness inside as we look upon our lives that are so mediocre and unexceptional.

Anxiety is nothing new to society, yet they occur more frequently in our digitalized world than ever before. And that is where our modern definition of success comes into play.

The idea of success in the form of wealth, attractiveness, and fame are ideals that we average Joe’s and Joanne’s are confronted with every day.

No matter where you go, you will hear of celebrity XYZ and his Net Worth of XYZ Millions or his beautiful celebrity wife.

Naturally, we tend to compare ourselves to others, and when we take exceptional individuals as a reference, a feeling of anxiety is often the consequence.

Although we are shy and dislike acting, we dream about the “successful” life of a famous actor, who might have a drug problem. But we disregard that, of course.

Where does it come from?

In short. The media.

The longer form is the following:

Social media (and media overall) blows the lifestyle of the rich way out of proportion.

Their lifestyle is all over social media, no matter where you look.

A project called Inequaligram, run by the City University of New York, looked at 7.5 million Instagram posts shared in Manhattan in 2014.

Their conclusion?

Wealthy neighborhoods are dramatically over-represented in posts, including those from people who lived in poorer parts of the city.

Even if the guy flexing in front of his Lambo is 20k in debt, you don’t know. You only see what he wants you to see, that he is “successful”.

Social media displays a tiny minority consisting of the richest, most attractive, creative, and “successful” persons a majority of the time.

So obviously we compare ourselves to them, whether we want to or not.

And what is the consequence? We, are feeling like shit because we aren’t as “successful” as “everyone else”.

As a Gen Z, I frequently observe how my generation is lacking many moral values. Money and looks seem to be the core values for many of my age, and the absence of a moral compass is not even questioned.

What is the solution?

To solve this dilemma, we have to redefine what success means to us. As individuals, and as a society.

Instead of focusing on external factors, we should shift our lens inwards.

Favor authenticity, fulfillment, and self-satisfaction over money, fame, and looks.

Maybe the family father who is doing a job he loves and is content with life is more successful than his CEO who is miserable, went through 3 divorces, and works 14 hours a day.

The guy who travels the world with $2000 per month and found his purpose?

Probably better of than the pro-athlete that is constantly pressured and doesn’t enjoy his former passion anymore.

It’s time that we redefine success as being successful at living life.

Don’t get me wrong, a Hollywood actor who loves his job, is fulfilled and passionate about what he does every day, and is grateful for what he got is still someone you can look up to, and should.

Just be certain that there will always be something you don’t know, and that no one has life figured out 100%.

The good thing about all this? I’m not the first to notice. Many have already started redefining success for themselves.

People Aren’t Just Quitting Their Jobs. They’re Redefining Success

How I will redefine success for myself in 2022…

This year, I want to achieve this individual kind of success. I haven’t set a net worth as my goal for this year, but rather defined the person I want to become. By building habits that guide me in the right direction, I will try to become a more disciplined, authentic, grateful, and thoughtful person.

Instead of working towards wealth and fame, I will try to become content by — and about — myself.

So, how do you want to redefine success for yourself?

Let me know in the comments and feel free to leave me some feedback too! I’m trying to improve my writing constantly.

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