What is success?

[nutnoodle]

I'm in 5th Year High School (Scotland) doing my highers, and I'm constantly feeling under pressure by teachers and my parents to do well. My dad actually said the other day, If I don't get my highers and go to University I'll end up a failure...
Is that what success really is? Getting qualifications, a job and money? I don't think it is. I've already got a busy life, I'm a musician in several bands and I'm happy with the way things are going. For me, I'd rather have a job that didn't pay enormously well but that I loved, than one that was really really well paid.. that I hated and couldn't stand getting up in the morning for.

Mabye I'm just young... full of crazy ideas... I don't know...

What do you guys think? Is money really that important?

[ZekeyLizard]

I really wish it wasnt.
But unfortunately it is.
Poor folk be screwed and it wont get no better.

[psychohamster]

It matters if you live in a country with capitalism. But you CAN find a job that is well paying and you love. (curses Publix Supermarkets)

[Evilone]

I'd suggest trying to do well in your education, simply to leave your options open...

And remember - whoever said money doesn't bring happiness was right, but spending it, that's a different matter... ;)

[plattbridger]

success is being happy with yourself

[Wahoo]

success is achieveing a goal which you have been working toward.

Even if it is a bad thing, as long as you have achieved your goal, to you, it is a success, even if it might not be to anyone else

[Playbus]

Posted by nutnoodle
My dad actually said the other day, If I don't get my highers and go to University I'll end up a failure...


Bullshit. I left school at 16 and never went to college or Uni, and I'm doing very nicely for myself thankyou.



plattbridger has got it spot on:


success is being happy with yourself

[Arky]

I left school with bugger all (well a couple of c's in my GCSE's) Lied to get onto a design course by saying I had the qualifications that I didnt. I ended up doing a BTEC in design then a HND in design. Those years were a fantastic laugh and if i had the chance to do them all over again I would.

I'm not particulary intelligent but I have managed to start running my own business (for the last 7 years!) have a nice car, house and don't often have to worry about bills/mortgage.

The thing is, I didnt need those qualifications to do what i'm doing now, but I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to go to college/uni and have so much fun, it really did make me into the person I am today, a little of this is because of the feeling of independance you get by living away from home and fending for yourself (to some extent). -not to mention the amount of beer drinking and shagging you get up to :D


So my advice for what it's worth is: Enjoy yourself at the moment, work hard with your studies if you can, go to some sort of higher education, have fun then have the choice to follow whichever career path you want to afterwards.

On an oldie note, you parents are only pushing you maybe because they never had the opportunities that you have right now, and in the end, only want the best for you.