It was morning when I arrived with my mother on an overcast day. I felt anxious, understandably, because I had no idea what the next couple of hours would entail. “What was going to happen?” was the question that established itself in my small, five-year-old head, as I held on to my mother’s hand as we walked into the building. We were welcomed by a charming woman (a teacher) and once I waved back at mother, who assured me it would be okay, I was ushered into a room full of people my own age and given a nametag. Then the adventure began…oh kindergarten orientation, I cannot believe it has been twelve years. Almost halfway through senior year and I feel nostalgic for those simpler days, when my main concern did not revolve around university, but rather “Pokémon” and making sure that I would be able to watch the next episode on time. Yet, I remember something in particular about that day, over a decade ago, that stands out to me when I think about the word success. Does it involve construction paper? Yes. Does it involve a children’s book? One of the best: The Little Engine That Could.

As I pasted my little colored squares to resemble a train, Mrs. Root read us a story. It revolved around a little engine that was given the task to pull a long train over a high mountain. Since various larger engines refuse the job, the request is sent to a small switch engine, who agrees to try. As it goes on the little engine puffs, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” even as it nears the top of the grade, which had discouraged the other locomotives. Courageously, it reaches the peak and as it goes down, it congratulates itself with “I thought I could, I thought I could”.  While this story may be aimed at children, I believe that its message applies to the whole topic of success. What the little engine exhibited is the cornerstone to all success: action. No one can attain success if they do not even attempt to do so. Success comes to those who try. For it to arise spontaneously cannot exist without the help of Lady Luck. The ladder of success, after all, is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity.

Yet, who can define what success really is? In today’s society, I think that the word is often associated with immense wealth and power. That is one common viewpoint, but I think that it can be broken down into more important pieces than that. I think that it is anything worth noting, or something to be proud of and to see success, one has to know failure. Something is only a failure, if something cannot be learned from it. As the great Winston Churchill once said, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without the loss of enthusiasm”. I can only agree with these simple, but strong words spoken by a true leader. To have the courage- knowing that there is something more important than the fear of failure- to act, shows that one has the desire for achievement. A person can learn all the fundamentals from formal education to earn a living, but self-education (learning from mistakes and failures) will fill in all the blanks towards greatness.

Another attribute of success, is a sense of purpose. A goal cannot be reached if there is no goal at all. To have a motivation is the fuel necessary to travel along the path of success. That motivation is what pushes someone to work hard. From an academic standpoint, I do not think that intelligence is the main component that is needed to excel in school. Surely, it helps, but it is the person who is willing to put in the most effort that reaps the most success. A student may be the smartest individual in the classroom, but the one that works twice as hard for the grade, I argue is more admirable. While a person may be doing something to please others, that should not be their main motivation. So often I see my peers at school who are under immense pressure to surpass what is considered average by their parents, and I wonder if that is their only factor for doing something. Then, I wonder if I am like that. However, I remind myself that success ultimately relies on the individual, who has to want it themselves. Only then will they be able to recognize the achievement it is and revel in it. To know that yes, this is something that I choose to do makes success so much sweeter.

Thus, I can conclude that wealth and position are not the only ways to categorize success. An executive, a professional athlete, or a famous actress may be seen as figures of success, but what about those who may not have the same prestige, but are doing what they love? I consider them to be successful. Happiness and success do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. Isn’t it better to be doing something you love, even if it is deemed mediocre by the standards of society (how can you be a considered a failure if you are continually learning from the experience) than at the top of something you hate (how is that true success?).