Success, and the Delusion of Inadequacy

Let's journey back
To a time long ago, when the aim of the human race was survival.
An idea comprised of obtaining food, water, and shelter.
During this time, achieving said goal of mere continuance made a species or a member therein "successful."
Now enter 2016;
Some people in the world still live this way.
However today, we tend to consider those aiming only to survive as "less fortunate."
With most of us living comfortably and finding our next meal or source of shelter not difficult to come by in our technologically advanced society, we have free time.
Too much free time; wherein we have created illusionary needs and goals and definitions of achievement, which we have in turn applied to our species as a whole.
If you aren't making x dollars annually, you fail occupationally.
If you aren't thriving on this social platform, you are not well-liked; you fail socially.
If your looks do not meet these standards of excellence, you fail physically. And so on.
Historically and scientifically speaking, this is the opposite of true.
Before we had this abundance of spare time to create problems for ourselves, the laws of nature would have said that if you were surviving, you were succeeding.
Because what is success? There is no concrete definition.
Webster says that it is "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose." Therefore, success is subjective. 
What is your aim? What is your purpose? What do you dream of? What makes you feel alive?
That is your success.
We have become wrapped up in this culture in which we measure ourselves against everyone else.
We compete with their dreams and their goals, and often times those dreams and goals don't even belong to them to begin with; they too are competing with another's.
We spend so much time competing that we forget to live, and ergo by the very basic scientific definition of success, we have all failed.
Gauge your success against yourself. Where you've come from; where you want to go.
The lie of society has triumphed in making its elemental members feel inadequate and insane for far too long.
Nobody except you has the right to determine whether or not you are flourishing.
And if ever you feel like a failure, remember that you are alive. That fact in itself is the greatest and most absolute measure of success that can be quantified or agreed upon by humankind.
You are successful.
Now work on being unique. Work on being decent.
Use your innate human achievement to reveal to others how successful and beautiful they are, too. 
What is to come of this Earth if we spend all of our time with our heads down, dabbling in trivial matters to reap meaningless rewards?
True honor lies in exposing beauty;
Lending inspiration;
Sharing in substantial relationships;
Protecting and appreciating the cycle of life, and the abundance of our gracious planet which is ever-dwindling;
Leaving this place better off than we found it.

Find peace in the fact that life is a continuous gift-- one that would be a shame to waste on anyone else's idea of what matters-
And so long as you are breathing, you have won. 

xx, Bailey