What Determines Success?

If you’re like most people, you’ve most likely found yourself asking what it really takes to be successful in life. However, when it comes to describing success, people have very different ideas about what the word means to them. Dr. Frederic Neuman, Director of the Anxiety and Phobia Center at White Plains Hospital, writes in Psychology Today that there is no standard definition of success, and being successful indeed means different things to different people. He adds that the understanding of success ranges from being financially well-off to being a good parent or grandparent. Finding a common ground between these varied definitions of the concept, Neuman states that success is the ability to reach one’s own goals and achieve a purpose.

So, what exactly determines success? Rita Allen writes in a Boston.com article, that being positive and optimistic is the key to being successful in one’s life and career. She adds that not only does being positive help people overcome adversity, but optimistic people make lasting impressions on others, often get promoted, and make quick advances in their careers. Being optimistic, states Allen, also gives one the ability to keep things in perspective, a sense of calm and peacefulness, and increased creativity. Much like Allen, Dr. Neuman too believes that a person’s character is the most important factor that contributes to their success. It eventually depends on one’s ability to stay strong in the face of failure and their desire to keep striving even after facing rejection. That, says Neuman, is what determines success.

People often look to Sadhguru for guidance on being successful. Below, we’ve featured an excerpt from one of his live talks where he addresses what it takes to be successful:

Share what success means to you, and how you’ll use Sadhguru’s guidance to achieve it with us below!