Never Stop Climbing......

"Success is not measured by what a man accomplishes, but by the opposition he has encountered and the courage with which he has maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds in." ~ Charles Lindbergh

As years pass, and aspirations fade, each of us need to come to accept the success we achieve, or even fail to achieve. For some, success is satisfactory health, financial prosperity, well-established relationships, and a rewarding career. However, I truly believe success is a gift only one can give to oneself. According to the article "Defining Success," by Emily Battaglia, The only true means of defining success is to characterize it yourself, and not to allow the expectations for success be determined by society (2). In other words, you are responsible and not your circumstances, for where you are in your life. Clearly it's how you choose to perceive your world, your surroundings, and the subsequent choices you make everyday. To me, a successful individual is one who fully appreciates what one has, even if it is not come in abundance.
With that being said, there are several qualities that I believe are associated with success and prosperity. These positive attributes include; joy, contentment, peace of mind, self respect, gratitude, and most importantly, personal pride. Not only is pride a necessity one needs collectively, and individually, but it is one of the many rewards that come with being successful. Through my eyes, pride is having the courage, free-will, and determination, to be the individual one was meant to be. However, I presume that with success comes disadvantages. These setbacks include greediness, selfishness and when more is never enough. Moreover, to continuously fixate on what one does not have, suggests that one does not see future opportunities. I strongly believe that success can not be measured by what one does not have, but by what one has, and what opportunities arise from that. In other words, success is doing the best with what one has.

Without a doubt, success comes within, and only one can determine whether or not one will become successful. In all, I consider success not to be contagious. No-one can determine the success of another. Success and prosperity can only be gained by oneself. Furthermore, what one has at the moment, one has attracted by the individual he or she has become. According to Lorrine Darconte, author of the book "Lessons for Success," success is considered a progressive realization of a worthy ideal, whether it be devoting one's talent and assets to others, overcoming apathy and fear, or giving all one has in return to receive nothing (15).

As I have mentioned earlier, I believe success can only be achieved through self realization and self appreciation. Indeed, I would sacrifice everything and anything to realize that I have achieved success, and someday I hope this realization comes true.

Lastly, I was privileged to be given the opportunity to interview with an individual, who I feel has accomplished far more than I could ever imagine. Not only does this person set a perfect example of what a success is, but she is what I hope to become. Professor Diaz has had a major impact on my life, and how I portray success. I consider her to be one of the most inspirational people I know. Through her self determination, personal pride, and appreciation of life, she posses all the qualities that define success. Most importantly, she believes success is "being able to look at yourself in the mirror and be happy with who you are." In addition, Professor Diaz feels "each day is a new adventure, God only knows what I can do." Above all, I will never forget the interview I had with Professor Diaz that day. Her words were not only encouraging, and inspiring, but I had found what she had said at the very end, to have had the greatest impact on me: " Dev and I know without a doubt, that someday, someone will be interviewing you."

The Real Me

"A dedicated life is a life worth living." ~ Anne Dillard, writer

Somehow, I recall coming across this particular quote quite some years ago, and to this day I can't seem to forget it. Not only has it encouraged me to give my all in life, but it has inspired me to rise to my personal best, in order to succeed and find happiness. Above all, I believe this quote strongly defines who I am as an individual as well as who I aspire to become.
Growing up, I increasingly felt the pressure to excel and be the best. Whether it be in school, or tennis, my parents were continuously pushing me to higher standards. At the time, I was unaware of the great potentials and self determination I really had. However, sadly all I saw was a life of misery, frustration, complication, and uncertainty. I never quite understood why my parents were so hard on me.
Over the years, I would watch my peers and wonder why they did not have to go through what I did. Everything came so easy for them. For some reason, I had to work extra hard to achieve what for others was effortless. It was just not fair. All I wanted was to be someone else. Someone who did not have to spend over five hours a day practicing a topspin forehand, or spend thirty minutes just trying to figure out one simple math problem. In all, all I really wanted was not to be me.
To make matters worse, I have an identical twin sister and we were constantly compared. Through the eyes of my parents, My twin sister and I were considered one person, one identity. Even to this day, my parents view us as "one unit." Although, we may have similar physical characteristics, we posses differant qualities. Particularly, these individual qualities help characterize who we are. Overall, I consider the relationship I have with my parents to be beneficial. I have now come to the realization that the pressure, and high demands, that my parents placed on me, was only to make me a stronger individual. Most importantly, I never thought I would come to notice the strong will and motivation, I have gained from the difficulties I had encountered. As of today, I consider myself to be a strongly determined, assertive, and diligent individual. Most importantly, I believe with personal responsibility, comes personal excellence, and gratification.
In general, my ultimate goal is to improve my self image, in order to create meaning in my life, and in the lives of others. I strongly believe in disciplining myself to do what I know is acceptable, and important. Although, at times it may be difficult and frustrating, I know that by doing this, I will become a stronger individual, and that I will succeed.

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