Personal Philosophy

I have begun to sculpt my ideas and thoughts in a rough shape that covers the realm of
ones sense of place and the intertwining realm of success. I have begun to realize that
success, in its essence, is a major balancing act. What is balanced, however, seems to me to
be the most important aspect of success. First we will cover the basics of success and what
comes next. In my eyes, success is the second step in the road towards finding the meaning of
your life. The first is to become ones true self, his or her most authentic self. Then comes
success, which is a balancing act that must be kept throughout ones life. Success is not the last
step, yet the last true step only exists for an individual to find individually, and is hopefully what
will drive you towards finding your happiness. I am not talking of the common success which
we so often see drooled over by the greed of our country and its citizens. I am referring to a
version of success that contains not just the materialistic view of big money, but that balances
family, friends, freedom, work ethic, and sense of place. It was once considered, and still is by
some, that you cannot be successful inside of your work and inside of your home; that
commitment can only be put into one or the other. I disagree, and believe that balancing creates
success, rather than success come from single commitment.

The final part of the balancing act is sense of place, which is often overlooked but fuels
the flame and is an extremely important aspect of leading both a successful life, and then
hopefully a meaningful life. Sense of place, not in terms of what is comfortable to you, like your
bedroom or your house, but rather in terms of what geographic location surrounds you. Do you
love the ocean? Spend your time completing your daily tasks near the ocean, which will truly
give you a physical and mental boost. Do you love being surrounded by the rolling hills and the
large snowy peaks? Create your life in the area which truly will help propel you, not hold you
back. The physical and mental boost will not only add to the balancing act of Success, but will
allow for you to be in an area that gives you happiness. An area that can allow you to open up
your mind to some of the transcendental and existential thoughts that might be harder to
contemplate elsewhere. It is not crucial to know and be surrounded by your sense of place, but
in my eyes it keeps the scales of success in a much more harmonic balance.

Success Essay

At the youngest of ages it becomes apparent to us as Americans and as individuals that

success is the end goal. We watch and absorb information that tells us that we should shape
our lives around being successful, and although I completely agree that success is an end goal,
it is our definition that worries me. For quite a long time, and really before I began looking into
the career which I plan to pursue, I heard the word success and thought immediately of money.
Young people in this day and age consume vast amounts of media that show the lives of people
who possess a lot materialistically, yet who lack spirituality and true happiness. It becomes so
easy for us to look at what we see through our screens and desire it, especially in today's age of
instant gratification. This corruption of materialistic goals is the opposite of where we should be
turning our heads as smart and unique individuals. Success is the correct answer, but what it
entails determines whether or not your road towards happiness and meaning will be an easier
one.

Before success comes it is important to first become the most in tune with yourself as
you can be. In existentialism this is seen as being authentic and it entails letting go to some
extent of the pressures you face daily. I have, along with many others, experienced a situation
where I acted differently in order to fit in or join the popular decision. A demonstration of
inauthenticity, this is a sign that you are following others more than you are yourself. Although it
is completely natural, and everybody has or will at some point fall into this category, on the path
towards success it becomes a burden. Inauthenticity ultimately slows you down as you try to
make your life into what you want. According to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a man at the forefront
of existential study, Personal authenticity is diminished by the need for the esteem of others in
societies characterized by hierarchy and interdependence. Authenticity is derived from the
natural self, whereas inauthenticity is a result of external influences. The solution to a problem
suffered by so many is actually quite easy in my eyes. It ultimately requires several moments of
ones day to ensure that they are staying as or more connected with themselves than they are
with the distractions of life. It seems that self reflection is the easiest and most efficient way to
begin to look inward for answers rather than developing reliances on sometimes untrustworthy
outsiders. By asking yourself what has gone well and what can be improved you begin to
develop a reliance on you instinct and your thoughts, which in the age of technology can
sometimes be unheard of. This is not to say that relationships are not important and that
seclusion is the path we should travel, rather that in order to make the path towards success
easier, your foundation must lay within yourself. Once you have spent time looking inward, then
can come the focus towards the complex and difficult surroundings.

Soon after you have become more in tune with yourself it becomes important to turn
your head towards success. Success, as I have stated, is a balancing act that requires attention
in all different realms. Although they are subject to change, and your individuality will determine
how it does, the basic balancing act comes from relationships, work, and sense of place. Some
may think that they are better off without others, and that they are entirely self dependent,
however relationships are the most crucial realm for creating your success and happiness. In
Entrepreneurs article, The Key to Success, author Steve Tobak states that, Your most
important asset is your network - not your virtual network, your real one. Although Tobak is no
doubt referring towards the business and work related side of success, it is equally as important
for other aspects as well. There is an undeniable competitive spirit that spawns from the
development of strong and healthy relationships. I experience this each day when I produce
school work, and feel constantly pushed by the excellence of my close friends and peers. Some
would say that self reliance is the key to getting things done, however I would say quite the
opposite. You can be pushed by your own will and conscious to a certain extent, yet eventually
your creative genius will run dry and you will begin to lose inspiration. We need relationships in
our lives to function, yes, but also to push our limits and to exceed our own expectations. When
trying to become a truly successful person, not just in business or through wealth, relationships
become the keys which open new creative doors. Not only are they important, but I now believe
they are completely necessary to the progression of the mind on ones quest towards true
happiness and meaning.

Work is a word so often used to describe the career choices of an individual, however
often with a somewhat negative connotation. Whenever work comes to mind, I think of a literal
exertion of mental and physical capacity to obtain a result, yet not in a way that is fulfilling or
meaningful. I often hear the word work used negatively, and in a way that describes a certain
unfulfillment or unhappiness with the career choices of those using the word in this way. This is
where success weaves its way into the discussion. I am currently at the stage where I have
begun to choose where I want to take myself within the workplace, and now more than ever I
am finding an urgency that embodies a need to not waste my shot at a meaningful line of work.
Success in the workplace is exactly that, and should not become defined by the paycheck of an
individual. I am certain that part of the cause for this unfulfilling emptiness felt by some in the
workplace is credited towards their heavy focus on money, rather than on their goals. Do not
mistake me in thinking that money is unimportant, as it is what makes our society function and
what defines the modern workplace. However to become truly successful, meaningful work
must come first. In a study conducted by Stanford University entitled, How people choose
'career paths' , Stanford states that, After interviewing and studying one hundred young men in
the workplace, many believed that if they were not making more money than their fathers they
were failures. I am certain that there is a similar study which shows similar patterns for women,
however the point of this is that the modern work environment has become much too focused
around the big bucks. Instead you must look into yourself and, albeit corny, channel your inner
child to find what would make you the happiest. By doing so you have completed the next step
in a search for something much more powerful, and have continued to fortify your story of
success.

Sense of place is a subject often overlooked in terms of how it affects our lives on a day
to day basis, however I see it as the third and final step towards becoming your most successful
self. Sense of place refers to the biological, topographical, and environmental areas which have
a profound and deep effect on an individual. Think of a time in which you felt that your
surroundings fit in perfectly with you, where you felt rejuvenated by the ecosystem on either side
of you. In that exact moment, your sense of place was revealed, and although the impact may
have been short lived, it is crucial to know where you belong. Some say it is impossible to mix
business with pleasure, but I would disagree. If you can pinpoint where you belong and find an
area where you feel peaceful, focused, and blissful you can live in pleasure while conducting
business. Many scientific studies, including those created by Psychology Today and Harvard
University, prove that living in areas which we want to live in boost the body and the mind. Think
of it as a natural steroid boost to your brain and your body. So why is this important in creating
true success? It is my theory that by adding sense of place to the balancing act, you are
allowing your mind and body to boost both work and relationships. This creates a final
foundation in which it becomes possible to improvise and add more to your lifestyle. Loving
where you live is seen as an afterthought, and only until retirement does it seem plausible. To
be able to make the most of your time, should productivity not be boosted? Not only will this
contribute to creating your success, but with boosted mental productivity, finding ones
happiness and true meaning can become infinitely less difficult. Relationships, work, and sense
of place make up the foundation of success, however the rest is truly up to you. Becoming your
most authentic self, and then creating the foundation for a successful life is not the final step, yet
with a foundation comes the scaffolding you create.