What is Success?

After reading the article by Eric Schlosser, the question of what determines success is reexamined. I feel that in today's society, success is determined by how much money you have. If you are successful in society then it is assumed that you have a decent house, car, job, and salary. But, when you think about what Christopher Reeve said, " I see people who achieve these conventional goals, none of it matters." This statement is very powerful and meaningful to me. Many people including myself get wrapped up in the today's stereotype of success. We push to have the better job, car, and home, but is that really what is important. To be successful in my mind, if all the material things were taken away and you are still happy, then you are successful. Many people are spending less time with families and more time at work in competition for a bonus or promotion. This leads to the point that if you do not get the promotion then you are unsuccessful and lost the competition I guess naming you a loser. However, I think that success is more about who you feel about yourself. If before you fall asleep at night you can say that I did the best I could, then you are successful and a "winner.'' I found it very interesting that the article and convention continues are Reeve's moving speech to the next speaker who says, "Tell me friends, in your lifetime, have you ever been on a diet?" This line, proves that society today focuses on successful people being attractive and wealthy. Overall, I believe that success is based on you being able to tell yourself that you did your best no matter what anyone else thinks.