What is Success?

Its 6 pm and we are stuck in the usual, unforgiving Mumbai traffic when my daughter suddenly asks me, 'Mamma what is S-U-C-C-E-S-S? (Now that she is learning to spell words). I take a quick look outside our Uber and spot a big hoarding of a well known Tutorial with the tagline 'path to success'. I promptly reply 'success'. In a flash comes  the next question, 'Mamma what is success? What does it mean?'. My mind goes into overdrive. How do you make a kindergartener understand the concept of success? For those who are not around kids or do not have a daily rendezvous with them, let me tell you that kids are complex characters. They have a very inquisitive mind. You tell them one thing and they will ask you ten in return.

                                         image source                                 So, If I give a complex answer, I'd be bombarded with more questions and If I try the easy way out without explaining correctly, she may end up with wrong ideas about success. It is more like a catch 22 situation for me. I have to think fast and give a satisfying reply. What is success, anyway? Is there a way to define it? Measure it? Should I quickly google "How to explain success to a child?"
Success can mean different things to different people. We usually have a tendency of relating success to money and fame. If that were true, there wouldn't be so many celebrities who have all the fame and money in the world, going through dark phases of depression.
For kids, success could mean getting their parents to buy their favourite candy. For students, it may mean scoring high marks in exams. For a person who just underwent knee surgery, success could mean - finally being able to walk again. For a vegetable vendor, success could mean selling enough vegetables to be able to provide for his/her family for the day. For some, success can mean mending a broken relationship, for others it can mean buying their dream car. Success is the most subjective thing in the world. What is success for one person could mean failure for another. I think  when all is said and done, it all comes down to how happy we all are and how at - peace we all are in life. But I can't tell my little one that success is being happy because for her, being happy is having unlimited stock of chocolate and watching cartoon.

One can have a very successful career or run a successful business or become a millionaire before they turn 30, but at the same time they may have a failing marriage or failing health. Or one may have strong personal relationships and be in the best of health, but may find themselves struggling in establishing a great career. Failure is a part of success. Failure teaches myriads of things, that perhaps, success can't. It is OK to fail. But it is important to keep trying to be better. I look at my sweet daughter and say, 'success means trying your best in everything you do'
'Trying my best in everything?' She asks.
'Yes' I nod.
'Even when I'm picking a toy ?' Comes the reply.