Where to Find Success

Finding a balance between ambition and self care is crucial for happiness and fulfillment, in life.

With the 97th National FFA Convention and Expo just ending Kansas saw a lot of success at the National Level. Success is a word that resonates deeply with me, yet its definition varies widely for everyone. For some, it may mean winning a CDE, LDE, proficiency award or agriscience fair project, while for others, it could represent personal fulfillment or making a new meaningful relationship. As we go throughout the rest of our year we need to have our own definition of success and how we can best reach our goals. Understanding what success is crucial for setting and achieving our own goals. At its core, success is based on your own opinion. It’s shaped by your own values, aspirations, and circumstances. Traditionally success looks like winning first place or having the best grades. However, a lot of people are beginning to recognize the importance of simple goals, like those that promote personal growth, happiness, and well-being.

For instance, many people find success in growing their relationships, pursuing new hobbies or serving their communities. These things often lead to a sense of fulfillment that makes you feel better than when you receive material gains. The key is to define what success looks like for you personally, rather than relying on what your friends think success looks like.  Another important aspect of success is the journey itself. Achieving a goal is often seen as the ultimate destination, but the path taken to get there is equally important. It’s in the challenges, setbacks, and learning experiences that we often find the most growth. Embracing the process allows us to develop resilience, adaptability, and a deeper understanding of ourselves. For example, I faced many setbacks in math class before finally figuring out the material and finding success. Each setback provides valuable lessons that contribute to future endeavors. The resilience built during these challenging times often becomes a cornerstone of their eventual success. Achieving success involves establishing goals that’re practical and attainable well as celebrating progress along the way to stay motivated and acknowledge accomplishments—no matter how small they may seem in the grand scheme of things—thus sustaining momentum, for continued dedication to one’s endeavors with a positive outlook being a key factor, in reaching desired outcomes.

Embracing a growth mindset also means being open to an approach to achieving success and understanding that setbacks are just part of the learning journey. It’s important to prioritize well-being while striving for success as many people tend to push themselves in pursuit of their goals which can lead to unnecessary stress. Finding a balance between ambition and self care is crucial for happiness and fulfillment, in life. People and groups are now more focused, than on making a difference in their communities and the environment by reshaping what it means to succeed to involve a feeling of purpose and giving back to society. Success isn’t a standard but a personal voyage shaped by our own values and situations. By determining success based on our standards and accepting the process while setting objectives, maintaining optimism and finding harmony between ambition and well-being. We can create a satisfying journey for ourselves. What does success mean to you exactly?

Quinn Browning

State Secretary