Gucci Mane wisely said “ If a man does not have the sauce, then he is lost. But the
same man can be lost in the sauce”. When I was younger I used to fear the dark but, as
I got older that fear reemerged as a fear of the unknown. How will my life turn out and
will I be successful. But, what is success? Success is most easily defined as the
accomplishment of an aim or purpose. However, the media portray success as the
attainment of popularity and profit. Successful people are characterized as having
money, cars, a cushy office job, and a big house. People then use those characteristics
to determine their personal value based on how much money they have, how big their
house is,or is their car the newest model. So how do we achieve this so called
“success”? From a young age we are told that we can achieve success through hard
work. So allow me to provide you with this visual. A single mother with three kids works
two jobs to provide for her family. Yet, she can barely provide enough to live in the small
apartment she rents. Most people wouldn't define this as success but rather a struggle.
She’s working as hard as she can but, she’s still not seen as successful. Now let's say
we have a 20 year old male doesn't have a job but, somehow drives a Ferrari, goes
clubbing every weekend, and even owns a mansion. All thanks to his trust fund. Most
people envy this lifestyle and hate him out of sheer jealousy. Nonetheless we still
consider him successful. Hard work does not necessarily equal success. In fact working
too hard for what society perceives as success can leave you feeling extremely empty.
Contrary to popular belief, the acquisition of materialistic items will not make you feel
successful. When most people say that, “I just want to be successful” what they are
really saying is “I just want to be happy”. Success is just happiness in what you are
doing. We’ve been lead to believe that you cannot have success without wealth. That
belief is going to lead us into a life of unhappiness. If you were the CEO of a large
company, had a fat paycheck, a brand new whip but, hated your job. On the outside it
may appear that you were successful. However, you personally would never feel
successful. Money and material things should never be confused for happiness. If you
were a garbage man but, you loved going to work every day not only would you would
feel successful, it would feel like you were hardly working. I'm not telling you to throw
away your plans to be a biochemist and get a job as a sanitation worker. I 'm just saying
to be happy with whatever you do. Albert Schweitzer said it best, “Success is not the
key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you
will be successful.” so as we grow older and we set off on career paths don't forget to be
happy in whatever you're doing. Never get lost in your pursuit of the sauce.
I appreciate this piece because it raises an important question, especially for American high school seniors. Seeing as we place so much emphasis on hard work, getting an education, and getting paid, we always need to ask ourselves if it will be fulfilling. The quote was especially thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ivan. You are spot on my friend. At the end of the day, one of our main focuses in life should be personal fulfillment. Put yourself above everything else.
DeleteI like the opening statement you made, it set the tone for the rest of the writing. You were spot on to what I feel like society misses a lot of the time, and good for you to address.
ReplyDeleteThis post was very interesting. Success is different to each individual, but is the same in the fact that success to everybody is happiness. It can be parents who were barely making ends meet working as hard as they can to feed their children until they were able to graduate or it can be a businessman who's created a well known company. I just wanted to add that it is also about perspective. I may feel someone is successful, but another may not think so. I think that's okay so long as the individual being perceived is happy. It doesn't really matter what others think they are.
ReplyDelete-Andrew
I'm glad you found it interesting. I totally agree with you on the fact that success is all about perception. I was actually going to add something along the lines of "when it comes to success your perception is your reality" but, I thought it was to cliche.
DeleteStraight bars Landon. Very well written on a difficult topic of success. Your choice of quote in the beginning is not conventional, but that's why I liked it because it still fit so well into what you were saying. Great Job!
ReplyDeleteThanks Shane! The unconventionality of that quote is exactly why I used it. Most people would disregard philosophical advise from Gucci Mane. However, wisdom can come from anyone. It's all a matter of taking it and applying it to your life.
DeleteYour piece opens up the idea of success and expands it for everyone to realize that the idea of success is truly a personal perspective for individuals. We also shouldn't judge others "success" since we all have different ideas on the subject. Good job dude, it was a nice read lol (compliment)
ReplyDelete-Somijah Reed
The first line made me laugh, but as I continued reading I realized that your piece made a very serious and legitimate point on the definition of success. Your use of the two contrasting scenarios, the single mother and the rich young man, made your point clear that success is based on more than the verdict of our peers. Good job
ReplyDeleteI personally agree the successfulnes is not based on material things but based off of happiness and being content with what you have in life. This piece makes you think about success and what it really is. It was a interesting piece, well- written, and completely relatable. Great work
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in saying materialistic items will not make you feel successful. I feel success comes from the feeling of accomplishment after earning something you have work hard for. Overall, I feel you did a great job with this piece.
ReplyDeleteHaving the quote open your work is very captivating! I completely agree that we are a materialistic driven society and hard work is difficult to pass as success from our piers. We are drilled to obtain luxury items, yet we put that above our happiness. Amazing thought provoking work, Landon! :^)
ReplyDeleteYou immediately grabbed my attention in the very beginning when you connected being afraid of the dark when you were little to now that your older being afraid of the unknown. I think that is a perfect way to start this piece because it is not only relatable, but it brings you in it, and causes the reader to want to know the answer to the question you will provide "What is Success". Loved it. Great job Landon!! --Megan T
ReplyDeleteGreat piece. When I was younger, I would always say I want to be wealthy and have nice things, however money cannot always buy happiness and obtaining a career that does provide happiness is the true success.
ReplyDeleteYou make it seem like everyone can achieve success and I totally get it as success is super relative and the only way to achieve it is if you yourself feel successful, not by what you own or how others perceive you.
ReplyDeleteDude! Great job with this piece.. I loved the hook too. All we need is happiness!!! I appreciate this:)
ReplyDeleteThe way you started this piece with Gucci Mane made me laugh, but I totally agree with you Landon. Your analogies fit perfectly for what you were trying to convey. Society perceives success to be purely based upon fame and the amount of bread in your pockets but honestly it is so true what you stated. If one is completely content where they stand and strive to achieve what they have placed before them, then success is met. Great job on this piece.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up, I always wanted a huge mansion on the hill, several sports cars, and a ton of dogs; but, as I have matured, I too have realized that all I really want is a life with someone who loves me and wants to share every single day. I loved how you defined success and compared it to what is the societal view on success. I also really liked how you used both a historic quote, and a modern quote to support your viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteI think about this topic a lot. Media really does change every ones point of view and it really is sad. This was a great peace, very well said.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone has their own standard of what their success is. There are different kinds of success too. I love this writing because it's very realistic but very hopeful in a way too. Great job!
ReplyDelete-Lisa Ryu
i loved how when i started reading the piece it actually made me laugh but as i continued to read and you began defining success it went into a more eye opening topic. I'm completely on board on how materialistic items shouldn't be seen as success or contribute to our happiness. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI like this piece because I too believe that success is defined by what we think is successful; not what we have materialistically, but what we have in our mind. Good job on this writing!
ReplyDeleteThis piece is so well developed on the idea of how many people identify success as material gain and how that isn't how success should defined through gaining happiness. Very thought provoking in how we view success in media and all around us. Very nice job
ReplyDeleteI think it is very important to learn the true meaning of success, because a lot of people believe that they will feel content once they have a high earning job, when in reality they hate it because its not what they want to do. -Martina Panganiban
ReplyDeleteThis piece was really inspirational. It makes you stop and think about whether you're happy or just successful. Great job!
ReplyDelete-Aliyah Dumas
That really gets you thinking about everything in life that you do. I feel like everyone should learn the true meaning of success before doing anything and making any big life choices. This piece makes you think about society views people and how they idealize people who may be rich and famous but not happy.
ReplyDeleteMany people have different definitions about what success is, from finding love, to making money, or even just being genuinely happy with life. However this piece was so real, yet so hopeful at the same time. Great job! -Lauren J.
ReplyDeleteThe Gucci quote in the beginning was utterly brilliant. I love your comparison and take on differing pesoectives on the definition of success, very well written, and I enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDeletei truly admired this piece solely to the fact that people do have misinterpretations of what success really is. There are many people out there that are very much content with their lives who don't live in luxury houses and cars because their goal was to build a life with their soulmate and create a family.
ReplyDeleteThe images you portray of what different people define success as really allowed me to see the bigger picture in life. I love how you define success in a realistic way and show how money isn't everything. Success is what I strive for in life and I'm really looking forward to finding true happiness.
ReplyDeleteI think that as we grow older that these are important values to hold onto and remember, especially as we transition from one world to the next. I really agree with what you were saying, especially about how the more luxurious our lives seem to be, the more successful we are seen as. In my own opinion, success is more the image of the single mother providing for her family, than the wealthy young man living off of his inheritance. This was a really compelling piece and I really enjoyed reading it. You did a good job.
ReplyDeleteThe quote in the begging was great! The different types of success was really interesting and eye-opening. This was an overall great definition of success, good job!
ReplyDeleteI loved this piece! It is very true and I'm glad you chose to talk about it. You did such a wonderful job in expressing the reality behind success.
ReplyDeleteChills! I got chills from how real this was! It's usually at this time where we, students, are trying to figure out what we want to be in life and yes everyone says they want to be successful but we all have our different interpretations so your piece bringing into the light what we should really be aiming for feels like a relief, like the answer is so obvious and clear now. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great piece! I love the references to different scenarios and situations! Definitely a very well developed piece. This is a great eye opener on the way to see and perceive your way of living and succeeding! I really enjoyed your piece man! Great job
ReplyDeleteThis is a very inspirational piece. The fact that our capitalistic society values money over happiness has given us all a wrong idea of what we should really think of when choosing a career. Good job :)
ReplyDeleteNice Opening, man. Your points connect well to the role mindset plays in our view of the world, especially one as materialistic as today's.
ReplyDeleteWhen i started reading and saw the gucci mane quote, i started cracking up, but it also got me thinking. I think it's incredibly important for people to realize what true success is, as it is not just fame and money, but finding your happiness. You did a really great job writing this, nice job!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you that if you are not happy you are not successful. So many people work hard to become wealthy but forget about being happy. This piece is a great reminder that happiness is the most important thing for ones well being. Good Job!
ReplyDeleteEveryone can achieve success it just depends on how hard you work!
ReplyDeleteI like your piece because I believe that it is imperative that we recognize the hard work of blue collar workers and end the idealization of white collar workers. Hard work has been engrained into the "American Dream" and the ideals most families instill in their children. I think it is good to hold all means of work to the same standard and stop allowing for higher paying "successful" jobs to be seen as the most desirable.
ReplyDeleteYou tackled what we define as success and everybody should take this into consideration. Our success should not be determined by the tangible results but our fulfillment from the grind. Stay woke.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that you included the different examples of what we think success should be and what society perceives success as. The contrast between the scenarios is scary because we should appreciate everyone regardless of their material possessions.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely had to sit and let this all sink in. I loved how your comparisons really laid it all out. Some people may never "work" a day in their life and that truly does come with a certain amount of contentment.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your opening statement a lot, very funny and unexpected, don't think any other writer has had the idea do that. I agree with the points you make about our personal views of success, in the most realistic sense, and in a way, not biased.
ReplyDelete-Francis Talla
For many of us reading this it was really relevant to where we are in our lives. We are headed to college, looking for a job, picking a major, all for one purpose. To be successful, and i think your piece was a good reminder to us all that finding happiness is the key.
ReplyDeleteThis is just fantastic and brings up a really big issue in today's society where as you mention, people focus on the material goods for success, instead of trying to be happy. Your work is a perfect explanation as to what should be and what shouldn't be considered success, and your examples are a great addition and really help explain your argument. I also enjoyed your quotes, and thought that those also added quite a bit of structure to your argument. Overall, this is a great work, with a great message and great argument. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete-Christopher Kerwin
This piece is truly amazing and extremely relevant to everyone who read this. I am quite familiar with the overall message of your writing, but I hadn't really taken into account the scenarios you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteYour message is so important. I think everyone really does need to define success before going to try to attain it. This piece was amazing and well written. Thank you for the Gucci Mane reference as it served as the best translation in conveying your message. Good Work bro!
ReplyDelete-Jordan Lee
I'm glad you pointed out that success isn't always something that comes from hard work. Success could be effortless as long as you gain happiness at what you're doing.
ReplyDeleteThis was an amazing piece Landon! I agree in that sucess is not measured by our assets and wealth, but the happiness we have in the work we do. I always, the media contributes to the idea of success being a measure of wealth and lifestyle. I hope that I can work my dream job and find success in doing so!
ReplyDelete-Nwojo Abba
Wow Landon this is a super important piece. You were able to describe success in a relatable way and I really enjoyed reading this because I've been pretty afraid about college and starting a "new life." Reading this really opened my eyes and tells me to expand my horizons and to pursue what makes me happy. So honestly thank you for this, it was definitely something I needed to read.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this piece because us as seniors working so hard these last couple months of high school makes us think that after all this hard work in the end will we actually benefit from and live a life that we want to live. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThe Gucci Mane quote literally got me hooked! I really enjoyed reading this a lot. It was really well written good job.
ReplyDeleteIm so glad that you addressed this question! It is relevant now more than ever for us and it was interesting reading another person's viewpoint.
ReplyDelete- Andy Burgos
Them message left behind bey your work was very awe inspiring and instigated a fervent thought in my brain. The issue of success especially in our pre pubescent stage of life is evident. This piece hopefully enlightened many young readers to expand they're idea of success.
ReplyDeleteI loved the message you were portraying because it is very much so true in today's society that wealthy people may not always seem happy and the struggle is REAL.
ReplyDeletelol I love how you put gucci mane in this, but you're right! Money doesn't buy happiness but money makes the world go round and theres been times where famous people such as actors or singers have committed suicide and they have almost all the money in the world but still weren't happy. good piece! - karina l.
ReplyDelete