I stormed off to my room. Tears shot down my hot, red cheeks. A huge lump lodged in my throat as if I was choking on food. I lay on my bed while taking struggled breaths. I once again had not run good enough to impress him. It’s like my father repeatedly set unrealistic goals in his head that I was supposed to meet but never could. The many runs that dad had encouraged me to go on with him hadn’t helped. I had failed once again to live up to the runner that he wanted me to be. In his eyes, I was unsuccessful.

The formal definition of success is the degree or measure of succeeding. Slightly under this definition are two others, favorable and desired outcome; also: the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.(merriam webster dictionary) These three different definitions of success, each say something a little different.

We all have our own definitions of success. After asking my sister what her definition of success was, she replied that it is to have a good family, a job, and to maintain close relationships with our parents, that is her definition of success and it isn’t the same as mine.

The degree or measure of succeeding. In this world, we all judge people and their success. We all have our own definition of success and when someone doesn’t meet that definition, we look down on them. To judge someone’s success from your own point of view using your own definition isn’t fair.  We are all guilty of looking at people we barely know and judging them even if it’s spoken  just to ourselves, or said out loud to a friend. I myself know I am guilty of this, for example I used to look at homeless people and think that they must be so unhappy with their lives, they have no jobs and no place to live and the majority of people could care less about what they have to say. Then I went on several mission trips and got to meet and talk to homeless people, and found that I had judged wrongly. Most the people I met were fairly happy with their lives. They still had friends and most of all faith; the people I met on these mission trips had stronger faiths than I’d ever seen. Despite the fact that they didn’t always have food and shelter, a lot of the homeless I met were happy and I think had an overall feeling of success.
   

I lay in my bed curled up under my comforter as it shielded me from my father and the world.  My face feels cakey from the crying. I listen to my parents walking around on the floor above my head; the sound of their footsteps echoes throughout the house. I know he’ll come down here soon. To explain to me again, like I don’t already get it, that he knows I have so much potential to be a great runner and that if I just dedicated myself to run more on my own that I could be great. I know I don’t have the heart to tell him that running to me doesn’t mean the same thing as it does to him. I’m not my father. I’m not the great marathon runner that he is. But that’s who he wants me to be. I don’t have the heart to tell him that to me running is for myself. I don’t do it so much to compete. I do it to know that with hard work I can accomplish any goals that I set for myself.

The attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence. This is the third definition of success as said by Merriam Webster, but I have to say that I disagree. Success for me is not the gaining of wealth. In fact, I hope that success for the majority of people isn’t that. Success  is not gaining favor. Getting approval  from people does not mean you are successful. In fact, I believe that looking for approval from everyone is a sure sign of being insecure. Gaining eminence or becoming famous does not make you a success. 
   

The most accurate definition of success is this, favorable and desirable outcomes. Success is whatever you want it to be. If you want to become a billionaire and then become a billionaire, you have triumphed. No one else can decide or define what success is for you. You decide what your dreams and goals are. You get to define success as whatever you want to.
   

In my experience with my dad, he had a very different goal for me than I had for myself. My dad’s definition of success that he created for me was to become the top runner on the team and maybe even go to state. I never succeeded in his eyes because his definition of winning was different than mine.

While still laying in my bed I heard my dad’s heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the knock I was sure I was  about to hear. Then I heard it, a quiet knock on my door, a sound similar to a helpless child calling out. I sternly told my dad that he could come in. The conversation that followed evened my father and I out. We both understood each other's success.

My father and I have come to understand each other since days like these. He still tries to push me in cross country, but at the same time he understands enough that he doesn’t push too hard. He understands that my definition of success is different than his.
    

We all have our own definitions of success. A quote I like is, “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.”It was said by Bob Dylan. This quote matches my idea exactly. Since we are all unique we have different definitions of success. Just like the quote we all have different dreams. We all have our own definition of success.