Vision, Success, and Life: More than Weight Loss in My Case

An update on life:

As some may have heard, I am now down to less than 305 lbs. So this continued weight loss has made me focus on my life a bit more.  I am putting aside recent tragedy's in favor of of the following, as a beginning to a new path for my life and defining my success.

Success is an issue that I have learned is often misunderstood. I have come to learn it is not defined solely by how much money one has, how good looking one's partner is, or one's possessions. It is something that can only be defined by oneself. And only in the context of the following question "am I living the life I want to live"? Only now has that dawned on me that I haven't.  For the past ten years, I have been measuring my life by what sounded like success.

Two Undergraduate degrees, a Masters degree, and the pursuit of a PhD. But the truth was, it brought me no joy whatsoever.   It was for nothing more than a lame form of job security based out of my own fear of the world writ-large. It's only over the last few weeks, where I have been working as a Commis/Demi-Chef, have I found joy in my work. Simple though it may seem, cooking food I am proud of, has offered me clarity that wasn't there before. As it the steam off the grill has vaporized my negative thoughts, and allowed me to develop my vision, based on my ideals of success. For me, success is now the following;


1) Being the best father I can be for my son
2) Having a healthy relationship with my body, and remaining fit
3) Working in a career I enjoy, regardless of how it is viewed by others
4) Being a life partner to someone worthy of my efforts and love, and returning their love in kind
5) Being competitive, not to beat others best, but my own, in the areas of my life that matter to me only
6) Spending to live, rather than living to spend (Spending money on experiences rather than things)


Your thoughts?