My Definition of Success

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Success is defined differently by every person. I believe that Emerson's poem "What is Success?" accurately embodies my definition of success. To me success is not about how much money a person makes, the type of car he or she drives, or even the type of dwelling in which he or she lives. Success is changing just one person's life for the better.

In my opinion, the greatest achievement is positively influencing one person. Yes, just one person who is positively influenced is success for me. I believe that every person has at one time or another looked up to someone else for guidance, direction, and encouragement. The people we look up to are who we will remember. I do not remember the brillant person who won the Nobel Peace Prize, who discovered that vaccines will effectively irradicate deadly diseases, or even who made People's "Most Beautiful List". The people I do remember are those who I have looked up to for guidance, direction, and many times encouragement. As those people positively influenced my life, I want to be able to do that for others. My goal in life is to give back to others just as I have received.

With all of this in mind, I will find my success in education. Several of the people who influenced me were teachers. As they gave, they taught me the importance of giving back to others through their example. I believe that I will achieve my definition of success as a teacher and that is why I am pursuing my degree in education.

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