There are many definitions of success and happiness, and everyone defines it differently. I have met many people who have said that success might not make someone happy, and I understand this thinking. However, I think that even though success doesn't create happiness longterm, every form of success creates at least a brief moment of happiness and peace.
For me, happiness isn't exactly, or isn't just about excitement or huge celebrations. It is also that feel that I get when something finally goes right after I've been stressed about it for a while. That's the type of happiness I felt after my defense in school.
Before the day of the defense came, I was a complete mess. I reviewed my report many times and checked everything to be sure it was right. Even after that, I still convinced myself that I was not prepared. Just the the thought of my presentation in front of the panel made my heart race. The anxiety I felt, that built up to my defense day, made everything feel even more exacerbated than it actually was. I was also so anxious on the D-day that I couldn't eat. But the defense went well compared to what I thought it would be like. That kind of relief was calm and satisfying. I was so happy that it had been completed and successful. The relief that I felt from this was enough to offset all the stress I went through.
That's what I think success really gives, peace. Success might not take care of everything in my life, but at least for a short period, I won't have to worry as much. It also let me know that all my efforts and sleepless nights were not for nothing.
I have never really accomplished or achieved something and was unhappy about it. Maybe because I don't tie happiness to perfection. For me, it's an enjoyable feeling to have accomplished something that I put so much effort in and that I'm able to say, "I did it". In my view, success is determined by whether or not I tried to achieve my goal and was successful at the end. And I will be happy if I did.
Success alone also cannot fill every space in a person's life. Someone can accomplish things and still feel emptiness or void in his/her life. That because happiness, I think, goes deeper than achievement. Not everyone has big success, like earning millions or buying a house, but even that doesn't make it any less meaningful. Some of the things I have considered a success happened through things like completing something I started, tackling fear or accomplishing what I wasn't certain about being able to complete.
That was how my defense was to me. A reminder that even though I haven't gotten my life completely sorted out, that each small success can lead and build to greater success and, therefore, a greater possibility of turning my life or achieving my goal in the end, with each of the success bringing me closer to where I want to be.
I do not think success automatically means happiness. It may not be a guarantee for happiness, however, I do believe that success, no matter how small, still brings happiness, even if it's just for that moment.
Thanks for reading...
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Definetly! this is what people most times find it hard to understand. our happiness is not tied to our success but we still find happiness when we we succeed