After watching that talkback show on SBS, insight I think it is called, I am curious to know what people on this forum consider to be their success in life.
One of the speakers was saying how society in general (And we know how much that ACTUALLY means…) thinks that if a person earns a lot of money they must be successful and a good person.
I sat and had a good think of what I thought was success for myself and my hubby and I came up with two definitions. One which was rather materialistic, but then another one which was more simplistic in nature and when I thought about it more satisfying.
To me, I would love to be successful by having a nice home, half decent car (after all the ratshit cars I’ve had over the years..) and a bit of side income so I do not have to work fulltime or could choose to work or not.
The other side was as simple as the effect I have had on a childs life through my profession. Being a teacher I see children discovering many new talents, information and joy all the time, but it was nothing compared to today. A little boy who is rather new in class and has his own set of issues, has suddenly become a part of the class by contributing a little bit of news happening in his life and he also wanted to share what book he is reading. Despite the fact he can hardly read. I feel absolutely priveldged that he has the confidence and the trust in myself and the other children in the class to be able to speak up and share his thoughts.
I was nearly brought to tears thinking about it. That to me, has been one of the best successes so far in my life. I, somehow, have made a small difference in a childs life. [lmao]
[king]
Sigh…
So, tell me what your concept of success is…
REmember, it is YOUR definition, not what you think it should be…scremin – its patently obvious you are a success! the fact that you have reached a point where your definition of success is not linear and involves ‘making a difference in peoples lives’ is for me about as good as it gets!
and i know what you mean about having a nice car!!
one day!!!
Scremin,
Unfortunately…. historically teachers have been SO UNDERPAID…… I truely believe the saying that ” Film stars should be paid teacher’s wages, and teacher get film star’s wages “
It’s the parents we have, AND the teachers that shape a young person and their values…..
I’d say you ARE ALREADY successful….
Money is not always what people are aiming for to be successful…. Often it’s a by-product…..
My definition of success will be that I no longer have to work, so that I can spend time with my children everyday, being heavily involved in their lives….
With my first son, I was travelling with work so much, I missed his first steps, and, only saw him for a few days each month….. I regret that….. I ended up being retrenched…. so, my sacrifices were for nothing in the end…..
As Steve has mentioned, we only have a limited amount of time on this earth…. better make what you do count…..
Scott
Originally posted by Pelicaninvestments:Scremin,
Unfortunately…. historically teachers have been SO UNDERPAID
Scott
Sorry of topic but anyway….
Make the system performance based and i would gladly back the teachers demands until then why pay more cash. The argument put forward by the teachers union that you must “pay to get the high quality” doesnt cut it till high quality is measurable.
Scremin is the type of teacher that does make a difference and its these people the profession needs to keep.
Back on topic…
Success for me would be the same as other posters and that is not working but giving more of our short time on this planet to family and friends…afterall how long can you chase wealth for??
Seems most people only get success right after they have had a “life” experience.
Aww cheers guys.. makes me wanna cry.. I’m not one of a kind though. I have a whole school of people like me that experience the same things. I believe it is the reinforcing of values (admittedly Christian values) that is what guides me to helping these children. As some of you know, I teach in a Catholic school and it is totally different from the government system.
People gave john Howard crap for saying our public schools were lacking in values and he hit the nail on the head. what he failed to say was that families are forgetting to impress their own values on their children as well and are too quick to pass the buck on to the school.
I personally believe that most teachers are not in the profession for the money. I certainly am NOT! And most teachers are not in it for the holidays, for if you know a teacher or two, they actually spend at least half od the holidays plannig for the next term! I don;t really give a crap about what I get paid as long as it is reasonable for someone with the responsibility of nurturing childrens futures. NOTE I didn’t say shape childrens futures. BIG DIFFERENCE! Teachers who say they shape children are rubbish. All we should do is help the child work out things for themselves and maybe push them in the right direction if they lose the track.
I would still like to feel successful in the property investing world and outside of school so don’t you worry! I still have issues outside school about my success! I am just glad one part of my life is a little balanced and I am getting rewarded for it everyday.
Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.
Oh yeah, superted, you said it baby, money can’t go with us to the after world, can it?
Spend within your means and enjoy your life and others lives around you too.
Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.
Scremin you sound like one of the nicest well rounded teachers Ive kinda spoken too
Sadly most teachers I DO know have the opposite core teaching values that you have. ie priorities money, holidays.
I do agree that a lack of discipline at home should not be the fault of the teacher whos hands are tied behind their backs under the present political correct bs.
When i have children i would like to send them to a school where if they do something wrong they get a wack
Ted, I’m not too sure giving them a whack would be the answer as these days it just isn’t a threat to them. The kids know their rights too well and would be quick to have lawyers up at the school. (If you honestly don’t believe it, DO! Coz it happens…)
I dunno, It’s such a shame that in todays society we have people who believe they are owed something. I mean, yes some teachers as you meantioned Superted, are motivated by holidays and money and are really crap, but the system is slowly weeding them out.
I will be the first to admit that I will not be in teaching forever. I will always have some contact in a school via either relief teaching or a part time job, but I certainly do not wish to work fulltime as a teacher for a great deal longer.
Political correctness is rather tiresome but I have to admit, at the school I’m currently at, it really isn’t a problem. It’s kinda strange… Maybe it’s a magical school….
Oh yeah superted, if you do the right thing by your kids and give them the time they desire, I doubt you would even have to consider sending the future children of yours to a whacking school…
Ohand Pelican, I didn’t mean anything about the shaping bit directly at you. It isn’t really a great word for someone outside the family to use to describe their influence on another child. Jus tme being pernickety.
Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.
Success to me is…
Having lots of love in my life.. living with integrity and being myself and trying to be the best person I can… caring about other people who I love… being happy… having self-respect…
I I can do all of the above, then I feel like life is fantastic
)) And work, family, relationships, investments all come into the above Scremin- thanks for asking the Q- it’s a nice one
kay henry
No worries Kay.
S’pose I just wanted to reinforce to people that you can be successful with your life with other things than money.I have a cool email called the Mayonnaise jar and a beer.
A professor stood up in front of a class and brought out a large mayonnise jar and filled it up with golf balls. He asked the class if it was full and the class agreed.
He then tipped a bag of small pebbles into the jar. The pebbles slipped past the golfballs and filled up the gaps in between. Again he asked the class if the jar was full and they agreed.
He then took a bag of sand and tipped it in. The sand filled the gaps between the pebbles and the golf balls. He asked the class if the jar was full. They agreed.
Finally he opened a can of beer and tipped it into the jar filling the jars space between all the other things. The class were silent.
He explained that the golf balls the were like the most important things in your life that you cannot live with out. Your family, your friends etc… With just them your life would proabably be full.
The pebbles represents your hobbies, school other things you do with your time for enjoyment. They add a dimension past your golf balls and help fill your life.
The sand is all the unimportant things that happen in your life. All it really does is fill in time or your gaps.
Then someone in the class spoke up. “Well, what’s the beer for?” The professor replied, “No matter how full your life gets, there is always room for a beer.”
Just remember your golf balls everyone and how important they really are to your life. If you lost everything and only had them left, I bet your life woud still be pretty full…
Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.
Yet the debate was on a different line, rather if STATUS is a measure of success.
The author made the absurd proposition that if it is, then success can be achieved by going to a society that is so low in comparative terms that we will achieve instant status and therefore instant success.
I found the panel rather disappointing, some apologetic of their status, others dismissive as if not important but coming through not convincing.
The author himself was disappointing, and how he pontificated that status and (in his opinion), success, is fuelled exclusively by comparison with others and therefore we do what we do to catch up with the Jones next door.
I think that such is a loser’s mentality that tries to label aspirations and ambitions with derogatory labels, to justify his own inaction.
Success is a relative term and should be measured as a function of the talents we have and the environment we are in.
As any relative concept, attempts to define it will necessarily be lopsided.
To say “X is a success because he has this or that or is able to that and the other” without defining X before and after and establishing what X had available and how he made use of opportunities will not give any real picture of X’s success or lack of it.
As for the elusive “status”, I find the idea that status is a measure of success totally inaccurate, since one can clearly have status and be a failure or be successful and lacking status all together.
But this is of course only my opinion.May God prosper you always.[biggrin]
Marcmarc – what interests me about your posts is the tone wch says ‘listen to me i am right – i couldnt possibly be wrong’.
rarely is life so cut and dry. all the wise people i know admit they are fallible and admit that they could be wrong about there attitudes – but i dont get this impression from you.
dogmatic is the word.
what are your credentials? im not trying to be funny – but seriously please outline your credentials for having such weighty, dogmatic attitudes
await yr reply
I would gladly engage in a debate with you on this or other topics dear rogue, this is not your first attempt. I would do so if you offered any sort of response, opinion, or logical sequence of thoughts on the subject in question, rather than attempting to turn this into a match about who has the biggest attribute.
After all my disclaimer is clear, “this is only my opinion”, and not “I am right” as you falsely suggest.
Personally, I find your usually speedy and snappy responses cute, but lacking, how should I say… ‘meat’?
You obviously dislike me; perhaps I trigger some ancestral memory, or parental conflict? A teacher that you dislike, a brother that blocked your sun? A neighbour with a nicer car or other enviable accessories?Multi te laudant: ecquid habes, cur placeas tibi, si is es, quem intellegant multi?
May God prosper you always.[biggrin]
MarcMaybe Marc reminds you of a purple bath, aussierogue? [biggrin][blink][hair2][hmm]
kay henry
Originally posted by kay henry:Maybe Marc reminds you of a purple bath, aussierogue? [biggrin][blink][hair2][hmm]
Hey, there’s that purple bath again!!!!
What’s wrong with having a purple bath, as long as it holds water, it can’t be that bad, can it???? [blush2][blush2]
I keep tellin ya guys, if you find one, call me!!!!! [thumbsupanim]Jo
P.S. My definition of success (at the moment) would be to find out where you guys are hiding the purple bathtubs!!!!!! [lmao][lmao][lmao]Marc – less arrogance [or ignorance?] and some substantiated input would be welcome.
I will add that I find your reference to others posts/dialog lacking “meat” very amusing.
I for one – and I am sure there are others, find your mere rhetoric severely lacking in any substance whatsoever, needless to say avoiding the topic in question. And I am not only referring to this post.
— Michael
marc 1
yes you are right – im riddled with insecurities and anxieties. but to me thats part of being human – i havent met anyone who isnt. as one of my fabourite authors kurt vonnegut once said ‘if you dont suffer from anxiety, you either have your head in the sand or you are a master of self deception.
im gonna take a chance here and tell you that i am successful however using your definition of success. i have a few degrees, i run a trading company here in melbourne for a large multinational asian firm, and my salary is closer to 200 than 100. but i can tell you that all this so called achievement doesnt mean ‘that much’ in the scheme of things.
and ive also seen the other side. spent alot of time in the 3rd world incl bangladesh and i can tell you that if after meeting a beggar on the street i was to try and help them by regailing them with one of your stories about ‘loser mentalities’ and ‘visualising greatness’ they would look at me with the same sense of blankness with wch i read your messages.
no personal attacks here mate
Originally posted by Michael R:Marc – less arrogance [or ignorance?] and some substantiated input would be welcome.
I will add that I find your reference to others posts/dialog lacking “meat” very amusing.
I for one – and I am sure there are others, find your mere rhetoric severely lacking in any substance whatsoever, needless to say avoiding the topic in question. And I am not only referring to this post.
— Michael
And the topic is?[blink]
May God prosper you always.[biggrin]
MarcOriginally posted by aussierogue:marc 1
yes you are right – im riddled with insecurities and anxieties. but to me thats part of being human – i havent met anyone who isnt. as one of my fabourite authors kurt vonnegut once said ‘if you dont suffer from anxiety, you either have your head in the sand or you are a master of self deception.
im gonna take a chance here and tell you that i am successful however using your definition of success. i have a few degrees, i run a trading company here in melbourne for a large multinational asian firm, and my salary is closer to 200 than 100. but i can tell you that all this so called achievement doesnt mean ‘that much’ in the scheme of things.
and ive also seen the other side. spent alot of time in the 3rd world incl bangladesh and i can tell you that if after meeting a beggar on the street i was to try and help them by regailing them with one of your stories about ‘loser mentalities’ and ‘visualising greatness’ they would look at me with the same sense of blankness with wch i read your messages.
no personal attacks here mate
Clap clap clap . . . relevance to my original post before your personal criticism?[blink]
Zero.May God prosper you always.[biggrin]
MarcChildren !!!! [offtopic]
Get back to the topic… what do you define as successful ???
)) And work, family, relationships, investments all come into the above 
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