What is Success?
Perhaps living your own version of joy is the real flex.
Rebelution at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado by @eileenzimm
Last summer, my husband and I took our boys to a concert at Red Rocks. The opening act was a solo act, a young man, probably in his early twenties at best. I had not heard of him, and I don’t think he was a well-known artist yet. While his music wasn’t my favorite, I was struck by how in awe he was that he was playing in front of this huge audience at Red Rocks. He was visibly excited, and seemingly in disbelief, that he was on stage at one of the most famous venues in the world. You could almost see him pinching himself as he spoke to the crowd between each song. He was so obviously grateful, completely in the moment, taking it all in.
As I watched him, I started pondering… What exactly defines success? Here was this kid, not too far out of high school, who was fulfilling a dream he has probably had since he was a little boy. I imagined all of the years he had probably practiced his guitar in his bedroom, coming home from school, throwing his backpack aside, and running upstairs to play. I bet he stayed up late at night, and maybe even woke up early on the weekends, to play along to his favorite songs, because he loved music and this instrument so much. And now here he was, playing in front of thousands of people, performing on a stage that has hosted music legends that include The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and The Grateful Dead.
So, does success mean being famous? Being rich? Being a supermodel? Winning an Academy Award? Getting the Gold at the Olympics? Receiving a Nobel Prize? Maybe it just means being able to do what you love, without regard to what others think. Maybe it means living a simple life, with time to spend with family and friends. Perhaps living your own version of joy is the real flex.
What I can say, having watched that young artist on stage at Red Rocks grin from ear to ear with eyes beaming, is that he has “made it”. Whether he goes on to be a household name or goes back to live with his parents and work in the small town he grew up in, he can say that he pursued his passion so deeply that he got to play his guitar on stage at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Regardless of what happens next, he has already lived his best life. And how many people are brave enough to do that?
