How do YOU define "success"?

I think, for most of my life, I've been led to believe that "success" was primarily financial.  If that is the case, then the most "successful" folk we know of are the ones stalked by paparazzi, and they may or may not be happy, but "If I had that kind of money, I'd be happy..." yada yada yada blah blah blah BLECH.

Then there are those who have amazing careers, doing what they've always loved, influencing world leaders and the like with their brilliant inventions or theorems or algorithms or whatnot.  Those folk are very likely considered "successes" by us on the outside of their lives, but we have NO CLUE what struggles they went through to get there, and we also don't know if they consider themselves to be successful.

We see our parents, who, if we are lucky, managed to find love early in life and stay in love throughout our lives, and we probably strive to reach the kind of marital success that they've shown us.

But in my season of Sadiversaries, I'm drawn to individuals who find themselves successful on a daily basis, and those are the folk I strive to emulate.  I don't have a long-term definition of "success" for myself, unless it is the sum of my daily successes by the time I reach the end of my life.  I think I developed that game plan for myself when I spoke with Mommy on the phone that day and advised her to make 2006 the "Year of Lois".  At my current age, I may feel like I don't give a rat's ass what others think of me, but I know that outwardly, I need to look like I do, if I'm to succeed on a daily basis.

So I live my daily life, hoping for industry work and cheering when I get it.  I make my long drive to my not-so-bad job in the food service industry, and if I make it safely there and back, earn some tips, and have friendly conversation with my coworkers and the diners, then I count those days as successful.  If I have no work to do on any particular day, I try to accomplish something worthwhile, be it getting some bills paid, reading for enjoyment (just Entertainment Weekly, kids, don't panic), doing a bit of laundry or running the dishwasher, or getting some exercise, either by taking a short walk or getting into the cold swimming pool.  If I don't have to raise my voice or clean up cat messes, then I've probably had a successful day.  Eh, I usually have successful days even if I have to raise my voice or clean up cat messes.  I'm pretty successful.

I'm mostly a happy person.  I think this is primarily because I choose to be so.  I avoid negativity, which includes media-based news and politics, and I seek out positivity.  If I can awake feeling refreshed and go to bed at night without stresses weighing on me, then I've had a successful day.

So how 'bout you?  Do you define success differently?  Am I living a pipe dream?  Are you jealous?  Don't be; just find a way to achieve your goals and be happy.  Live my pipe dream if you want to, but be sure that it's actually YOURS instead.  I think there's room for all of us to feel successful and be happy.  Do you agree?