Success at 50?

   So, today I turn 50.  Cool.  Feeling good.  In relatively good health.  I’ve surrounded myself with the most amazing group of friends & family I could ever imagine.  To me, they're truly cool and gifted people, from all different walks of life.   Authors, Chefs, Musicians, Educators, Drivers, Artists, Doctors, Nurses, Retirees, Sales Reps, Small Business Owners, Photographers, Ex-girlfriends, Childhood friends, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Nieces, Nephews, Actors, Managers, Co-Workers, to name a few examples …and even Facebook acquaintances from all over the world with something similar or compatible with me to keep life interesting and enrich my life.  People I love having in my circle of family & friends.  

  Growing up, I knew early on my focus was not going to be on a specific career path.  I’d learn skills of interest to me and apply them as I moved forward and evolved as a person.   Somehow I knew at an early age, for me personally, my focus would be elsewhere.  I wouldn’t be measuring my personal success against a specific line of work or income.  To me success would be something else completely. 

   Within the first year of leaving high school.  I’d introduced 2 separate sets of close friends that got   married (and still are to this day).  I thought that was pretty cool being the match-maker; I could do it for them, so I could do it for me.  But then years and years went by and I was still officially single.  The brief thought of ‘why wasn’t I married?’ had to leave my mind as quickly as it entered.  I had to realize pretty quickly that it’s different for everyone.  My father at 35 years of age, had a long-term/stable career and 6 kids; but that didn’t mean that was going to be me.  Growing up, most of us are taught, somewhere between parental guidance and peer pressure that; you go to school, when that’s done, you get a job, when that’s stable, you get a life partner, a place to live, maybe have kids, maybe not, and live happily-ish ever after.   In ‘the greatest generation’, that’s how we were brought up.

   Well, that sure ain’t set in stone!  Most of the people in my circle know that now, through their various and very personal life experiences.   To me, success was not going to be defined by the terms of my surroundings or even by society.  No, I would do that for myself.  

  Success to me, is to be happily employed.  Hold a decent job, for a decent wage, keep a good work ethic and leave most days with a certain level of ‘job satisfaction’, that I made a difference in that workday.    

   Success to me would also mean, I needed to have good relationships with my parents and siblings.  Not perfect, it rarely is, but good & civil.  My family is awesome and we get through what comes our collective way.  It's not always easy, but ya do it.   

  I also needed to surround myself with quality fun people with like-minded interests and values.  I’ve got the nuttiest wackiest group of friends, and I love ‘em!  They’re such a huge part of my life. 

   Most important of all, to me, success would mean a happy home life.   At the end of the day, a place to live and a partner to share my life with.  It's that simple.  My wife doesn't define me, she compliments me.  She still has her life with her friends, and I still have my life with my friends, and then we have our life with our friends.  It's really cool and it works. 

   So, reflecting on 50.  I haven't massed monetary wealth, but I'm perfectly ok with that.  My wealth, and yes to me it is wealth, is my circle of family, my wife and my friends.  They rock!  Amazing people that help and encourage me on this wild ride of life experiences.  Moving forward through life’s ongoing challenges (and ya gotta keep moving forward).  I'm lucky and blessed to have them in my life; and THAT makes me feel damn successful!