1. What is success? Define it. 2. What helps you succeed, what prevents it.

1. How do you define success? (Try Rule of 3.)

*Stable Job

*Good family

*Reached contentment or happiness/reason of living

All of us want to succeed in life. We want to accomplish something, to feel that in some way, we’ve “won”. It’s easy to get sucked in to thinking that we have to succeed on the world’s terms when, really, we each need to define success for ourselves. What does success look like to you? Is it the model set down by your parents or grandparents? When we point to someone and call them a “success”, what exactly do we mean? All too often, we mean that they’ve reached a high level of their career and they’re making a six-figure salary. But success is a lot more than how much money you make, or how much stuff you own, it is if you are happy, and that your existence of living in this world has never been clearer. So what exactly is success? Well, there’s no single definition. Success is about living your best life, and only you can say what that means. It doesn’t matter what your friends or parents or society thinks: defining success is up to you. Success to me is having a stable job, a good family, and reached the level of contentment/happiness.  In the book Into the Wild Christopher had it all, the ideal vision of success, but all of that did not mean anything to him, the real success to him was going something he loved, and that is what he did.

"Stable Work History" varies with the type of job and/or the nature of the occupation. Some jobs are therefore labeled as seasonal or permanent. Even when generally considered as a permanent position a job may be one that experiences high turn-over. “A New Broom sweeps clean" is something that I have heard for years and believe. That is, a new employee will bust his/her buns for a short while and then level off to a certain production. A good and wise employer will learn how to keep his/her employees motivated to do their work at an acceptable level. "Stable Work History" is in the eye of the beholder. Be employed by others if you choose but always, always “Work for yourself". Employers consider 'stable' to mean you have worked for your last few employers 12 months or more. Your work history is pretty good. They do not want to hire 'job hoppers'. A lot of people have work histories of only a few months at each job. A company won’t invest training in someone who will not stick around. In the book Christopher had a stable job but decided to leave all that behind, and just goes on this journey to live in the wild, because that is what made him happy, and the stability in life was not satisfying to him. John Krakuer once said “I now walk into the wild” (51, Krakuer). Chris have no walked into the wild, and that to him was his stability in life, as for me a job and a secured cash flow is success for me. He saying those words must have been really good because he will not set his journey for the success he is looking for.

Family means that no matter what you're in it together, and till the end. It means that no matter how many times you may argue with your parents, sisters, or brothers, deep down you still have that unconditional love for them and if any one tries to step on any of them, you'll be the first to stand up and defend them. It means that you never let them stand alone, they come first. It means that you are getting unconditional love and that there's someone out there who knows when you hurt, and fell when you haven't said a single word. That my friend is family-knowing that there's no place like home, and even if the world has turn its back on you, home is the place you can go and find someone who will hold your hands through it all. Everyone wants to have the American dream of having a family, and being successful. To me without family there is no success. To Christopher family was not really a factor in his life, he found out in the beginning of his high school years, his father had another family of his own. This changed his perception of family forever. Chris once said “You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only...from human relationships. God has placed it all around us...and all you have to do is reach for it.”(97, krakuer) He said that because Chris believes you do not need another person in your life to fulfill happiness in your life. That is why he decided to go on this trip, regardless if he knew he was going to be alone. Family to him did not mean much. To me family means the world, and I cannot ever have my family go through that. Just dropping everything for the wilderness, and have them worry about me. That was quit selfish of Christopher.

Has anyone ever told you that money is the secret of true happiness? What about popularity, position, or fame? Do they really provide pure happiness that everyone longs for? Happiness is within all of us, we may not know how to bring it out because sometimes it comes naturally. I know what makes me happy and that is seeing the ones I love enjoying themselves as well as for myself to keep my goals and ambition alive, my passion. It is tough to find the true meaning of happiness because everyone is different and everyone has different wants and needs in life. In Chris’s case his happiness was being free and living a more edgy life style than the whole repetitive business suite type of routine. Being happy is about being strong, being confident in what you do. Krakuer once said  “I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong, but to feel strong... to measure yourself at least once” (krauker, 187). He believes being strong will lead you to happiness and I do believe so. You have to be strong in all aspects of life, in whatever life throws at you. 
                           

2. What helps you succeed in your community? What prevents your success?

What helps me succeed in my community is my family. As I mentioned in the previous assignment family means the world to me. To me family is very important and I am very thankful to have a loving and caring yet sometimes annoying family. My family is not perfect but I would not change them for anybody. We have our problems just like any other family, and sometimes we say things we don't mean. But that is ok, because, we always make it right because our love is unconditional. I'm not going to lie there do always those family members that always know how to get under your skin, but you have loved them. My family is my life. To me family, are people who love and care about you no matter what. They do not judge you. Sometimes, okay a lot of the time, we fight but no matter what happen we are still together. When I hear the word family, I think of the words love and support. My family is everything.

What prevents my successful is the fear of not finishing school. I’m not sure why I have these thoughts but I do. I’m scared that I’m going to end working at retail for the rest of my life. Maybe I think about the money, or the steps to get where I want to be.  Or even if the path I’m going is the right choice. I’m not sure. I’m just afraid.