The word “success” is abstract and can hold various meanings for different people. Some may define it as earning a lot of money, achieving a high social position, or spending ample time with loved ones. Success is a singular word, but due to its abstract nature, individuals may harbor different concepts of success within their hearts.
“We often think, ‘I want to succeed.’ I, too, live with this thought. However, before that, we must first define ‘success.’ We need to place something within the category of success to pursue it.”
Therefore, if we want to succeed, paradoxically, we must first think about what success means to us and define it.
“Is success about being able to continue doing what you love?”
In an episode of Park Jin-young’s “Party People,” singer Ha-rim shared his concept of success. At the time, Park Jin-young asked Ha-rim, “With such a voice, why aren’t you striving for better songs, bigger stages, and greater success?” To this question, Ha-rim replied, “I think success is about doing what you love for a long time.”
Considering that Park Jin-young’s and Ha-rim’s concepts of success differ, they likely lead different lives based on their unique perspectives. This made me reflect on my own concept of “success.”
“Doing what you love is important, but not doing what you dislike is also crucial.”
In my opinion, success involves doing what you love, but beyond that, it’s about doing it with people you want to be with. While it’s great to do things alone, life becomes successful when you form teams with others, share common goals, spend quality time together, and achieve financial stability, enabling you to spend ample time with those you cherish.
This is why I strive to make the most of each day personally. However, it’s also important not to get buried in reality. While achieving success is desirable, it’s equally important not to end up in the worst-case scenario—being forced to do things you dislike and spending time with people you don’t want to be with. To avoid such a life, I do my best to live fully and present in the moment.