How do you measure success?

Does success equal a fancy car, a compound that can house twelve families, only three people occupy the space? Or is success any size home filled with the things we love most like: family and friends, laughter, with moments adorning the walls, and the aroma of tranquility filling the rooms?

Success for me is a place of being true to self with a heart of gratitude. That way, wherever I may go, I am unapologetically happy with who I am and what I do.

I have always been one to go after what I wanted. I wanted it so badly I neglected my physical and mental health thriving to achieve material things. Do not get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with working hard or having material things unless those things like my case compromise your overall well-being.

Success is done with balance. Balancing the mind, body, spirit, financials, and relationships

Do not allow achieving things to define who you are or let those objects become your face (identity) because you have lost yourself. Society teaches us from childhood that more equals success and that it should be achieved in a particular order.

I watched Little Fires Everywhere over the weekend, and boy did Elena (Reese Witherspoon) need a match lit under her.

Reese, Elena, compromised her true love, true happiness for the life she thought was her life dream because society tells us by a certain age we should have; graduate college, gotten married, bought a house, had children, and to retire old.

Reese’s character loved her picture-perfect life if it looked good on the surface, catching an attitude with any and everyone around her if her family didn’t look like perfection to others.

Sometimes the view in the mirror is not so perfect.

Bitter about having birthed a fourth child, Elena shames others about their life choices, pointing the finger, revealing their mistakes and flaws when fact she should be examining her own life and actions. But the view in the mirror is not so perfect as she would find out.

By the end of the series, Reese has found her match Mia, played by Kerry Washington, and is awaken unusually by those who love her most.

I found this series binge-worthy, coming away with so many eye-opening moments about how differently we as humans measure success, living with our decisions, racism, mental health, and sexuality.

We all are in the pursuit of happiness and simply want to live a happy life uniquely as ourselves.

How do you measure success?

Many of us have gotten caught up in this rat race, sadly missing out on true happiness living the life society has measured as success.

We become slaves to the rhythm (system), to someone else’s definition of success measuring up to the likes of our parents, teachers, peers, etc.

Have you lost your identity just to fit in, to be accepted, to feel like you have succeeded?

Can you look in the mirror and like what is looking back at you?

Remember, whichever flower you choose to be BLOOM.

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Aspire to Inspire!
Dawn