The only meaning of success is living your life the way you want to

1. Introduction- what is success in life?

2. Life in historical past. Could people do things they wanted to?
3. Life today- How much are we free to do what we want.
4. What it means to be free to decide what you want to do?
5. What are the hindrances?
6. Why is it necessary to live life the way you want? What can be done to
ensure it?
7. Conclusion.
It is said that success is a journey and not a destination. The biggest journey
which we all take in our lifetime is the life itself. It is therefore, no wonder,
that if we wish to have a comfortable journey of life, then we be able to do
what we want to. Lifes real meaning is not in achieving everything but
being able to decide for oneself as what we wish to do with our own lives or
in short, a self realization about our own capacities, priorities and goals.
Primitive man had lesser but harder things to worry about. He only had to
think about food and safety of himself and his companions. In that sense,
though his activities and choices were limited, yet he was free to decide
what he wished to eat, where and how he wished to live, free from any
norms of present day society. As civilization came into being, people started
adopting various rituals and customs. This can be more applicable to ancient
India. Being a structured society, it had its rules as to what occupations
people could choose and even whom they could marry. Many activities in life
were subject to social acceptance. Thus, caste was a limiting factor which
decided what choices people had in their life. As newer rulers came to
govern, so did new rules. With the advent of colonial regime more
restrictions were in place. However, this also brought people in contact with
western thoughts of liberal society. Influenced by these, reformers like Raja
Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and many
others, a foundation was laid for reform in Indian way of life. This was
bolstered with a united struggle for independence under the leadership of
visionaries like Gandhiji, Nehru, Patel and many others.
Independent India has given a lot of liberty to its citizens along with
constitutionally approved fundamental rights. People are free to choose their
occupations, protest their grievances, adopt and propagate any religion or no
religion at all.
The importance of living life the way we want is a human right. It is a
necessity for the development of an individual socially, morally and
intellectually. It is quite possible that when decisions that are taken
individually for matters pertaining to the individual, outcomes can be

opposite to what was desired. However, it has an element of experience as

to what is wrong and what is right when lifes decisions are to be taken.
These experiences teach an individual about what works and what doesnt.
They also bring out hidden capabilities and lead to maturing as time passes.
After all failing and getting up again is a part of learning either at school,
workplace or even relationships. Different situations in life demand maturity
and experience which develops right from childhood.
Living a satisfying life entails a lot of aspects. It means being free to play and
learn as children, choosing a career which interests us and getting a loving
partner of our choice. Many other spheres of life include access to services
like healthcare, being able to vote and choose our own government. All these
are the choices which bring together the required ingredients for a
meaningful life. However, choices also entail restrictions or other factors
many times. For instance, it is not hidden that career choices are subject to
parental approval. It is equally restrictive in a culturally diverse India when
the subject is marriage or choosing a life partner. In public sphere, choice of
services like banking, education, public utilities and others is subject to
availability, accessibility, freedom from corruption and more importantly
financial capabilities of the individual. Therefore, the availability of such
choices naturally affects the kind of life we can lead. However, to be able to
do what we want in different situations has some constraints and in other
cases, hindrances.
While living according to our own will give a satiation, it is also necessary
that we do so without affecting others. For instance, when resources are
scant, it would be wise to use them prudently. Today mankind faces problems
of pollution, scarcity of precious resources like water. The alarming level of
pollution being faced in Delhi due to different reasons, the dispute of river
waters between riparian states due to lack of cooperation point to the need
to understand the needs of others too. Apart from these, there is also a
growing apathy among people of one community against those from other
communities. Instances like demands of reservation in jobs and education by
well-off communities without realizing that such provisions were meant to
bring equality in society between the downtrodden and the upper castes.
While everyone has a right to do what he or she feels to do with his or her
life, yet it is also important that the rights and spaces of others are not
affected.
We are yet to be a society where one really is able to achieve or do what he
or she wants to. Issues like gender inequality, patriarchy and security have
hampered the growth of women in many spheres of life. While men are given
choices, women are yet to have an equal status where they can decide every
aspect of life by themselves. This is also the reason for their lower workforce
participation, health issues and personal development. Every human aspires
to have a life on his or her own terms and no individual must be let down for
achieving his or her true potential. This can happen when every individual

realizes that just like his or her own life; everyone else has desires and
aspirations for their own lives. In other words, cooperation and
understanding is the key both at an individual as well as at a community
level.
Our capabilities and potentials are restricted either by available choices or
our attitude about ourselves. Living a life which is free of these restrictions
adds to our abilities to develop individually and contribute positively to the
society. There are no guarantees that living a life on ones own terms will
produce desired results to the individual, yet isnt life more about living
rather than only achieving results? That only would be truly a success.