Growing up in a high-achieving family and community, the word success and I are not strangers. Since young, we were expected to get good grades in exams, do well at school and receive academic awards, because only then we were considered successful.

As I get older, I become more familiar with the word success. Get a great gig, climb the corporate ladder, gain recognition, build wealth and so on and so forth. However, these are other people's definition of success and do not necessarily reflect my opinion. To me, success is subjective, individual and personal. So the question then is what does success mean to me and what defines success for me. Some of these may change over time, but at this moment, success to me means:

1. Having a sense of humor and the ability to laugh at myself

2. Being the best mother that I can be for my daughter

3. Being able to pick myself up every time I fall

4. Having the courage to stand for my ground

5. Being satisfied with my lifestyle at present

6. Putting my knowledge and skills to good use

7. Not having financial worries

8. Having a vision for the future

9. Being happy with myself

10. Learning new things continuously

So if I land a great job, get a promotion or make million dollars in a very short time, all for the better but I will not be considering myself successful unless I have satisfied my own definition of success as listed above. After all, Jack Kornfield, a best selling American author, once said, “In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived. How well we have loved. How well we have learned to let go”.