SEVERAL years ago, I began to introspectively ask myself if my 35 years of national and international service had truly been successful. Initially, the answer seemed obvious — of course, I was successful. As a professor at various universities in the United States, I had taught and led departments, pioneering the development of undergraduate and graduate programmes as a founding programme director and department chair. My efforts were recognised with awards for outstanding teaching from multiple universities, both at home and abroad.
For three years, I led the Business and Applied Sciences Academy of North America, during which time I expanded its reach to international scholars from different countries. I organised conferences in the USA, UK, India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Nigeria, fostering a global academic community. My career also included stints as a visiting professor in Australia, Singapore, Ireland and Bangladesh.
On the personal front, I was happily married, and our child was pursuing a PhD at a prestigious university in the US. I had a circle of close, loving friends. It seemed I had everything one could wish for.
Despite these accomplishments, I felt the need to delve deeper into the true meaning of success. I realised that success is not just about professional achievements or personal milestones but also about the positive impact one has on others and the legacy one leaves behind. This broader perspective has helped me appreciate the multifaceted nature of success and the importance of striving for a fulfilling and meaningful life.
In 2001, a significant milestone in my career was interviewing former US president Jimmy Carter. This interview was published as a full-page feature in the Sunday edition of the Columbus Ledger Inquirer in Columbus, Georgia, supported by a prestigious fellowship from the American Society of Newspaper Editors. President Carter’s comments garnered national and international headlines, and I was extensively interviewed by Brian Lamb on C-Span to discuss political discourse in the US and international politics, including reactions from the Bush Administration. This achievement was celebrated by my friends, colleagues, peers and institutions, reinforcing my sense of success as a journalism professor.
A few years later, I had the opportunity to interview former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the Kuwait Times. Dr Mahathir’s insights on contemporary world affairs were well received by readers. Additionally, I interviewed Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus for the Kuwait Times and organised a Nobel Laureate lecture at Kuwait University and the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce at the invitation of the amir of Kuwait, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Dr Yunus’s lectures and appearances were highly successful, further solidifying my belief in my success as both a professor and an organiser.
Despite these accolades and experiences, I found myself pondering the true meaning of success. Was my life genuinely successful? I needed a more profound definition. The more I contemplated, the more I realised that success encompasses a wide spectrum. It is not merely about professional achievements or personal happiness but also about the impact one has on others, the initiatives taken for the greater good, and the meaningful changes one strives to bring about in society. This broader perspective intrigued me and led me to believe that success is a multifaceted concept, far beyond conventional measures.
Reading newspapers and media stories about successes achieved through various corrupt practices, often endorsed by political powers, has led me to a profound realisation: success, in its conventional sense, is a very mediocre thing. Mere success can never be a true measure of a person’s worth. It becomes evident that even thieves, robbers, fraudsters, money launderers and scheming corporate politicians can be deemed successful. This revelation underscores the shallow nature of conventional success, as it is often attained through unethical means, diminishing its value and integrity. True worth lies beyond such superficial achievements, in the virtues of honesty, integrity and the positive impact one has on society.
What does it mean to live a successful life? I came to realise that the answer to this question is complex and deeply nuanced, dependent upon the myriad aspects and measures of an individual’s existence. Just as a fingerprint is unique to each individual, so too are our definitions of success, shaped by our personal experiences.
I concluded that a successful life is one in which an individual believes they have either maximised their potential and positive environmental influences or have effectively minimised and overcome the negative aspects of their genetic inheritance and environmental circumstances. This relatively simple, objective, and inclusive definition allows for an egalitarian approach to defining success. Unlike Webster’s definition, which frames success as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose and achieving popularity, profit, or distinction, my definition embraces a broader spectrum of human experience.
In addition to this objective framework, I incorporated subjective elements into my understanding of a successful life, such as loving and being loved, having dear friends, engaging in meaningful work, contributing to the betterment of the world, and having religious faith. These elements reflect the diverse ways in which people find fulfilment and purpose.
My reflections have led me to several profound insights about the nature of a successful life. Firstly, I realised that money, beyond what is needed for basic necessities, does not define a successful life. Financial wealth may provide comfort, but it is not the ultimate measure of success.
The definition of a successful life evolves and changes as individuals age. Our varied life experiences shape our understanding of success, leading us to redefine our goals and aspirations over time. This personal evolution highlights the fluid nature of success, which cannot be confined to a single, static definition.
Many of us define success based on our unique life experiences, which means that there is no universally embraced set of criteria. Most people identify multiple facets of success, reflecting the diverse ways in which fulfilment can be achieved. Among these, making a positive difference in the lives of others and leaving the world a better place is a widely popular definition of success.
Having good friends is a common and valued aspect of a successful life. Relationships and social connections contribute significantly to our sense of fulfilment and happiness. Even the youngest individuals often define success in terms beyond mere happiness and career achievements, emphasising the importance of holistic well-being.
While common themes such as love, friendship, and contribution to society emerge in defining a successful life, there are many unique and individual interpretations as well. Loving and being loved is a very common and important aspect of success, as is having faith. For many, faith provides a framework for understanding their life’s purpose and contributes to their sense of accomplishment.
Despite attempts to categorise definitions of success by age groups, significant differences across these groups were hard to pinpoint. This suggests that the core elements of a successful life — relationships, personal growth, and contribution to society — resonate universally, transcending age and other demographic factors.
These reflections have led me to appreciate that a successful life cannot be narrowly defined by conventional standards. Instead, it encompasses a wide array of experiences, values, and personal achievements, all of which contribute to the rich tapestry of human fulfilment and purpose.
Success cannot be defined by any single individual. As we age, it becomes increasingly clear what our own definitions of a successful life are and whether we have achieved them. The bar for living a successful life need not be a high one.
In a world teeming with diverse individuals — spanning the spectrum from young to old, rich to poor, labourers to professionals, religious to atheists, parents to the childless, gifted to average, and healthy to compromised — it is imperative that we value the inherent worth and vast differences of all human beings in the most egalitarian manner.
When the time comes for our lives to end, we should be able to appropriately evaluate our lives as successful or not. With over 200 individual definitions of success, I believe that the vast majority of us will be able to look back and feel that we have indeed lived a successful life.
For some, achieving a successful life might seem impossible due to the numerous obstacles in their path. These challenges may impede their ability to feel as if their lives have been worthwhile and meaningful. However, even with these obstacles, there are ways for many of us to create a definition of success that fits the life we have lived.
A life marked by illness can still be enriched with the warmth of friendships and the strength of faith. A life lived with disability can be imbued with gratitude and pride for the accomplishments achieved. Even a life touched by loss or sorrow can be meaningful through acts of kindness and efforts to make the world a better place. A life of poverty can still hold immense pride in raising children who achieve success independently. And a life spent in unfulfilling employment can still be deeply fulfilling through the love of family, the camaraderie of friends, and the comfort of faith.
We define and measure so much in our lives today that it seems important to also define what a successful life looks like for each of us. This personal definition allows us to measure our lives by our own standards and ensures that, despite the challenges we face, we can find meaning and fulfilment in our journey.
Life should be judged by its fulfilment. How did I live my life, what initiatives did I take for the good of people, what did I do, and what beneficial changes did I work towards in people’s standard of living, thoughts, and ideological views — that is the true measure of a fulfilling life.
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Dr Serajul I Bhuiyan is tenured professor and former chair, department of journalism and mass communications, Savannah State University, Savannah, Georgia, USA.