When I was recently asked what success meant, I paused.

There is no one universal, all-encompassing definition. No one can define what success means to anyone else.

Success is a measure of achieving a certain level of recognition. It can be to accomplish an aim or purpose, the attainment of social status, fame, wealth, and/or prosperity.

Yet, for me, the level of success someone has garnered generally are not things measurable. The qualities behind the person are the qualifiers.

Looking at success is an individual interpretation.

So, what is success to me?

I can begin by what it is not.

Self-proclaimed success stories, boasting of a massive collection of expensive toys or the 5-star vacations taken; enter into my brain as Blah Blah Blah. For me, success is not about how much money one makes or the stuff it is spent on.

Money is fantastic, don’t get me wrong. It can afford an incredible advantage when the intention is in alignment with goodness. Yet, money for the sake of money is not my parameter of a successful life.

When asked at a United Nations conference in the 1970s about his country’s Gross National Product, His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye, summarized how he qualified his countries success. First, he explained they did not have a GNP. Instead, he based his success on Gross National Happiness.

The holistic approach his country advocates for progress also gives equal importance to non-economic aspects of wellbeing.  For His Majesty, he qualified his county’s achievement and success, as measured by his people’s happiness.

This opened my consciousness to the definition of success.

As I pondered what this meant to me, I reflected on another question: How do I want to be remembered?

Those at the end of their lives expressed their biggest regret was that they did not live a life true to who they were. Never did they yearn to have worked more or made more money. Instead, they wished for spending time with their family, working less, and enjoying happiness.

As I gained more recognition in my business life, I realized that that was not where I gained happiness nor deep peace. Although satisfaction was felt from attaining a level of visibility in my work, it afforded me the financial means to develop my other interests. I came to understand, my measure of success comes from the fulfillment of my inner exploration.

As I continued to define what was important to me, I realigned my ideas of achievement. What I came up with was a life filled with gratitude. A day where laughter is abundant and worry is forgotten.

Where expectations of what should be, disappear and being present in the moment is commonplace. Finding joy in the miracle of life and nature, and when the simplicity of being kind, warms the heart and brightens the soul.

A successful day is when I have stayed in the power of trust. Knowing the universe is always the best guide. To have monetary reward is a part of my life, yet I understand that the financial ends will not make me happy but will aid in using that energy to spread goodwill.

Knowing happiness resides within, it is not an external force that happens to us, but how we choose to perceive. My journey has taken me where striving for self-actualization and awareness is a daily practice. I recognize how I want to be remembered and what I gauge as a success are the same.

To assist you in your interpretation of success, I will leave you with insights from the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules For Successful Living

1. Take into account that great love and outstanding achievements involve significant risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs:

-Respect for self
-Respect for others
-Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up to get it.

The definition is of success is personal, and we each come to it on our terms. So I ask; How do you gauge it, and what does it mean for you?