Definition of Success
Success! Success! ACHIEVE! MAKE A LOT OF MONEY AND BE FAMOUS AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE SUCCESS. HA HA HA.
So okay, I write this because recently there have been articles about social media sensation and college gymnast, Olivia Dunne. If you don’t know who she is, that’s okay. I’ll sum it up, she is someone who used her good looks and athletic body to gain attention and sponsorship from brands that lead her to a seven figure salary per year. This started at the age of 18.
Now, I don’t begrudge her. She is smart to figure out how to do this. Good for her.
The question is, is this success?
Most people would say yes. She is making lots of money. She is successful. I guess, I mean I’m sure that’s what she set her goal for…to make money.
But someday when she’s 102 and dies, what will her legacy be if she does nothing else? Her legacy will be, she took great pictures of herself wearing clothing made by successful brands and posted them online to make a lot of money.
To me that’s not success, that’s just financial know-how.
But this is not what we are taught in society. We are taught to see what watch the person is wearing, if they have the latest gadget, etc.
I see people who are really good people who have the best priorities in mind for their lives, but then they overextend and overspend on things like the latest new car. Why? Please don’t tell me it’s for safety. It’s not, it’s to show the world they are successful. It’s to prove to themselves they are successful. It’s not because that car is worth $60,000 or $100,000. That’s insane.
In Connecticut, there is this country club that has hardly any amenities. I looked it up and really not much to offer. But the yearly fee is a ton of money. I mean literally it has an outdoor pool that can only be used when it’s warm out (and this is the northeast so, that’s not many months out of the year) and a tennis court. It’s a lot of money because that informs neighbors that it’s members are successful.
HA HA HA. It makes me laugh. Suckers.
So what is success? What determines it? Or more important who determines it? For everyone, but especially artists, I want to tell you, YOU, the artist, determine that.
Stop looking at what society tells you to achieve. Or maybe actually look closer at it and decide if that’s really right for you or just really funny.