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What do you consider success?

I remember drinking brews with the boys when I was really young, about 16, and I recently for some reason thought about those times. Back then, it was a family who loved me and a good but not decadent house.

What was yours and did it change as you got older?

Comments

  • WaltBasilWaltBasil Posts: 1,757 ✭✭✭
    My parents raised us 4 children. They didn't have a manual for that, I was the first, so I was the experiment child. Of course at the time I thought they were overly harsh, but looking back, I know they had my back. Later in life, I told my dad that he did the right thing. Seems like every generation gets more lax than the one before. Eventually you'll end up with chaos. Him being very strict with me kind of set that bar back. I consider him a success.

    Raising my own son, I would often think back to "what did my dad do when I was in my son's situation, and my father was in my shoes?" I would then make a decision based on that, and not how I felt. Hopefully, I've been a success in my life. I guess history will judge that. As long as I don't add to the world's problems, maybe I've done all right.

    I'm a happy man and doing a job I love to do. If I can make other's life a little better too, I do what I can.
  • EchambersEchambers Posts: 4,178 ✭✭✭✭✭
    james40:
    I remember drinking brews with the boys when I was really young, about 16, and I recently for some reason thought about those times. Back then, it was a family who loved me and a good but not decadent house.

    What was yours and did it change as you got older?
    That's funny to me because I had the opposite reaction. I thought success was about "things." I have a much different perceptive now -- a happy and mostly healthy family, a decent job, a comfortable house. And not a lot of drama....
    -- "There's something that doesn't make sense. Let's go poke it with a stick."
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,917
    WaltBasil:
    My parents raised us 4 children. They didn't have a manual for that, I was the first, so I was the experiment child. Of course at the time I thought they were overly harsh, but looking back, I know they had my back. Later in life, I told my dad that he did the right thing. Seems like every generation gets more lax than the one before. Eventually you'll end up with chaos. Him being very strict with me kind of set that bar back. I consider him a success.

    Raising my own son, I would often think back to "what did my dad do when I was in my son's situation, and my father was in my shoes?" I would then make a decision based on that, and not how I felt. Hopefully, I've been a success in my life. I guess history will judge that. As long as I don't add to the world's problems, maybe I've done all right.

    I'm a happy man and doing a job I love to do. If I can make other's life a little better too, I do what I can.
    that lends to the adage that you live what you know. And you knew right. Much respect for you and your pops.
  • bbass2bbass2 Posts: 1,059 ✭✭
    Getting an order of cigars without the wife finding out.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,917
    Echambers:
    james40:
    I remember drinking brews with the boys when I was really young, about 16, and I recently for some reason thought about those times. Back then, it was a family who loved me and a good but not decadent house.

    What was yours and did it change as you got older?
    That's funny to me because I had the opposite reaction. I thought success was about "things." I have a much different perceptive now -- a happy and mostly healthy family, a decent job, a comfortable house. And not a lot of drama....
    those were things I didn't have then so to me they were the most important. True love, you know what I mean? What good are things if you have no one to share them with? "Happiness only real when shared." Thanks for sharing fellas. Can you tell I've been drinking tonight?
  • 0patience0patience Posts: 10,665 ✭✭✭✭✭
    A good wife, a home to live in that I owe nothing on, being able to do what I want to do and having a job where I am respected as an expert at what I do.
    Yep, that pretty much covers it. All the rest is frills.

    And what would make it even better is if someone would make a phone where old hands can type out stuff on it without backspacing every 2 seconds.
    In Fumo Pax
    Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.

    Wylaff said:
    Atmospheric pressure and crap.
  • perkinkeperkinke Posts: 1,572 ✭✭✭
    Success for me has always meant being a benefit to my community, being reliable for my friends and family, and living with integrity and honor. Kind of old fashioned, but that's who I am. :) I've known some famous and some wealthy people and none were particularly happy and many were not good people so why strive for that and end up like them?
  • Puff_DougiePuff_Dougie Posts: 4,599 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hearing my sons say, "I love you, Dad."
    Hearing my wife say, "You're my hero."
    Hearing my clients say, "You've given us peace of mind."
    Hearing my BOTL's say, "Dang, bro! Why you hurt me like that?
    Hearing my Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
    "When I have found intense pain relieved, a weary brain soothed, and calm, refreshing sleep obtained by a cigar, I have felt grateful to God, and have blessed His name." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
  • blutattooblutattoo Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
    0patience:
    A good wife, a home to live in that I owe nothing on, being able to do what I want to do and having a job where I am respected as an expert at what I do.
    Yep, that pretty much covers it. All the rest is frills.

    And what would make it even better is if someone would make a phone where old hands can type out stuff on it without backspacing every 2 seconds.
    This about sums it up for me except I'll throw in being a better dad to my son than my dad was to me.

    Oh and the talk to text feature on the phone works awesome. No more backspacing!
  • honorknight7honorknight7 Posts: 523
    blutattoo:
    0patience:
    A good wife, a home to live in that I owe nothing on, being able to do what I want to do and having a job where I am respected as an expert at what I do.
    Yep, that pretty much covers it. All the rest is frills.

    And what would make it even better is if someone would make a phone where old hands can type out stuff on it without backspacing every 2 seconds.
    This about sums it up for me except I'll throw in being a better dad to my son than my dad was to me.

    Oh and the talk to text feature on the phone works awesome. No more backspacing!


    Nail on the head Brothers.....only prob - because of injury in 09, the jobs gone and the house is not paid down anymore (several year vacation is expensive lol) - but.. I WILL GET THOSE BACK, I will I tell ya :)

  • roland_7707roland_7707 Posts: 2,833 ✭✭✭
    Puff_Dougie:
    Hearing my sons say, "I love you, Dad."
    Hearing my wife say, "You're my hero."
    Hearing my clients say, "You've given us peace of mind."
    Hearing my BOTL's say, "Dang, bro! Why you hurt me like that?
    Hearing my Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
    This!!
    One God, One Truth
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,004 ✭✭✭✭✭
    roland_7707:
    Puff_Dougie:
    Hearing my sons say, "I love you, Dad."
    Hearing my wife say, "You're my hero."
    Hearing my clients say, "You've given us peace of mind."
    Hearing my BOTL's say, "Dang, bro! Why you hurt me like that?
    Hearing my Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
    This!!
    ^^^^^^Yeah, that.^^^^^^^^^
  • New_BootsNew_Boots Posts: 2,651 ✭✭
    Bob Luken:
    roland_7707:
    Puff_Dougie:
    Hearing my sons say, "I love you, Dad."
    Hearing my wife say, "You're my hero."
    Hearing my clients say, "You've given us peace of mind."
    Hearing my BOTL's say, "Dang, bro! Why you hurt me like that?
    Hearing my Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
    This!!
    ^^^^^^Yeah, that.^^^^^^^^^
    Yeah, that pretty well sums it up.

    My father was more of a sperm donor than a dad. My mom worked her fingers to the bone to raise my sister and I. I still remember days that we only had enough food for my sister and I, so my mom would have popcorn for dinner, or no dinner at all. No matter what she had to put herself through, my sister and I always had what we needed.

    I've taken that, and used it to raise my own children. They come first, no matter what. If my kids are happy and healthy, and my wife is by my side...I've succeeded.
  • clearlysuspectclearlysuspect Posts: 2,124 ✭✭✭✭
    I grew up the poor kid with all rich friends. Lynchburg, VA is a picturesque, historic city with lots of Victorian architecture in the older houses. I always thought, "One day I'll have a house with pillars in front of it." For a long time that was my vision of success. Did my house have pillars on it or didn't it?

    Today, I own my "pillarless" home in Florida, and there is still a part of me that wishes it had them. But my perception of success has certainly changed. I have a loving wife and beautiful, healthy daughters, I'm able to provide for my family and I don't owe anyone a penny.

    I certainly don't believe I've reached any pinnacle, but I think success is based on the ability to find happiness. If you're happy living in a ditch and that's where you are then I congratulate you on your tremendous success. There is actually a homeless man in my town in his mid 30s. He actually comes from a very rich family, he's quite intelligent and very witty, and he'll never take penny or a handout from anyone. He just doesn't agree with modern society and he chooses not to participate and he does this quite well. I also consider him successful.
  • bandyt09bandyt09 Posts: 4,335 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Too be able to change the lives, in a positive way, of those around me that don't know me.
  • macs-smokesmacs-smokes Posts: 587
    I feel I am successful in the fact that I am able to tithe to church and pay my bills... money will come after the kids are out of the house. But I am content with who I am and what I do to pay the bills. Yes more money would be nice... but I am not willing to sacrifice my time with my family to get the overtime required.
  • No_one21No_one21 Posts: 2,182 ✭✭✭
    Looks like I'm pretty significantly different here which I'm sure can and will be attributed to my age but I don't see myself changing all THAT much.

    I see success as a good career in which I got the right education and use it to engineer things that help the world in some way. This means bachelors (done) FE (done) Masters (soon) and PE (4-5 years)..

    I also see success as my ability to live comfortably doing what I love which includes my hobbies (scuba, playing music, sports, cigars etc). It includes having a house that I have space to do my hobbies and not be bothered by people because of them. And, more recently (honestly because of this forum) it now includes having a loving wife.

    I'm not religious and don't want kids, although if I eventually change that I absolutely plan only to adopt seeing as I was adopted and I might like to pay that forward.
  • Puff_DougiePuff_Dougie Posts: 4,599 ✭✭✭✭✭
    No_one21:
    Looks like I'm pretty significantly different here which I'm sure can and will be attributed to my age but I don't see myself changing all THAT much.

    I see success as a good career in which I got the right education and use it to engineer things that help the world in some way. This means bachelors (done) FE (done) Masters (soon) and PE (4-5 years)..

    I also see success as my ability to live comfortably doing what I love which includes my hobbies (scuba, playing music, sports, cigars etc). It includes having a house that I have space to do my hobbies and not be bothered by people because of them. And, more recently (honestly because of this forum) it now includes having a loving wife.

    I'm not religious and don't want kids, although if I eventually change that I absolutely plan only to adopt seeing as I was adopted and I might like to pay that forward.
    I don't see how that's significantly different, Sam. Some answers are more general and philosophical, and some, like yours, are more practical and concrete. Either way, it seems we're pretty much saying the same thing.
    "When I have found intense pain relieved, a weary brain soothed, and calm, refreshing sleep obtained by a cigar, I have felt grateful to God, and have blessed His name." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
  • Amos_UmwhatAmos_Umwhat Posts: 8,405 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Success, hmm...

    1) Self sufficiency

    2) good relationships with your neighbors

    3) Raising your children to be self-sufficient, and have good relations with their neighbors.

    4) To borrow a line from Second Hand Lions, "Believing in what's right whether it's true or not, because those are the things worth believing in"

    I guess that sums it up, for me.
    WARNING:  The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme.  Proceed at your own risk.  

    "If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed.  If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." --  Mark Twain
  • RBeckomRBeckom Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭
    Hearing, when I die, Jesus saying the words:
    He's one of mine and passing through the gates of Eternal Love and Salvation.
    Simple, to the point of what really matters and what I consider success!


  • RBeckomRBeckom Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭
    bandyt09:
    Too be able to change the lives, in a positive way, of those around me that don't know me.


    Amen!


  • RBeckomRBeckom Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭
    Learning a great deal from a thread and then when enough has been learned, self-destruct it before it becomes argumentative.
  • option2option2 Posts: 39
    Moving on with your life through many setbacks that frequently occur.
  • option2option2 Posts: 39
    RBeckom:
    Learning a great deal from a thread and then when enough has been learned, self-destruct it before it becomes argumentative.


    Is it in fact success if you are blown up in the self-destruction?
    You need to learn your place in the grand scheme of things good sir.


  • Jetmech_63Jetmech_63 Posts: 3,451 ✭✭✭
    option2:
    RBeckom:
    Learning a great deal from a thread and then when enough has been learned, self-destruct it before it becomes argumentative.


    Is it in fact success if you are blown up in the self-destruction?

    Ask a suicide bomber...
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