Key To Success Reflective Essay Example

The Alsatian Polymath, Albert Schweitzer states, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” A simple interpretation of this quote would be to do things that are enjoyable. In contrast to stop doing things that are depressing. Most of the population of the workforce will admit to disliking their current employment. Which falsifies a part of Schweitzer’s statement, meaning that you can still find success even without happiness.   

Happiness is a feeling of satisfaction while success may be defined as achieving something above the average person. I do agree with the beginning of the quote, “Success is not the key to happiness.” Success could be a component of happiness, but there are many examples of wealthy or celebrities who are unhappy. On the other hand, I disagree with the second part of the quote, “Happiness is the key to success.” I believe that happiness may contribute to someone’s success, but happiness alone does not make someone successful.  The restraints of the unenjoyable practices will hold one’s will back and they will not reach their full potential. 

Even with the restraints I have full confidence that the key to success is to be very passionate. It’s the determination or how much someone is willing to sacrifice inorder to achieve success. Happiness does play a minor role in becoming successful, but it is not as important as perseverance.

In today’s modern era, most people dislike their job but they will consider themselves to be successful. According to a 2019 Gartner study, about thirteen percent of the US workforce population is satisfied with their current employment. Furthermore in a study conducted by Business Insider, about seventy eight percent of people consider themselves successful. Many examples of this trend occur with individuals with very high paying jobs, who have everything and do not take pleasure in life.  If someone is talented in a certain activity or study, it may not be the occupation that they take pride in. Additionally, “successful” jobs can also include an immense amount of stress that may cause the feeling of being overwhelmed.  Conversely there are many people who are poor and unsuccessful in the world who are largely happy.  The happy people in poorer countries live simple lives that are stress free and  all their basic needs are met. People such as this may be happy, but they may not have achieved something significant or above average.  

To be ambitious means to do whatever it takes and is a more reliable means to success. If two business students work separately on the same assignment, one motivated by happiness and the other motivated by grit. The student motivated by his or her happiness will complete the assignment willingly and finish the assignment early. When the student that is influenced by grit attempts the assignment, they will spend more time researching and getting ahead on the task. People who are determined are always setting out to beat their goals and repeat the cycle of positive reinforcement which results in happiness. It’s not the happiness resulting in success. If someone is passionate about their occupation there is a higher percentage that they will become more successful. 

I have explained three of countless topics in modern day society: happiness may be a factor in success but not the full motivator. The idea of being happy is a short lived feeling and by connecting it for the reason of completing a long term result is inaccurate and unreasonable. The true key to success is to become passionate and determined in the current occupation given. People can become successful even when they are going through the darkest time of their lives. As claimed by the Polymath, Schweitzer, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Which is a false expression if statistics are involved. Emotions may make this easier or harder to complete a goal, but it is the determination and hard work that happiness will result from.