I have three childhood friends who grew up with me in the same neighborhood. One stayed in that same neighborhood where she is happily married to a carpenter, another prevailed as an accountant, and the last one continued as a missionary in underdeveloped countries helping abandoned children. On this account, my friends are successful because their aspirations are being realized. Success is not about accumulating wealth or fame, but doing well in relationships, having an actualized dream career, and affecting the society positively. However, these accomplishments are tied to hard work, honesty, discipline and making the right decisions.
Success has popularly gained a narrow definition of fame and fortune; nevertheless, the measurement of success is different for each individual. This is because success is doing what we have ever desired to do and being where we have always aspired to be. A woman is considered to be a successful person if her ambition to get married and have a happy family are fulfilled. Having a happy marriage could be seen as an easy venture, but this cannot be determined until one begins to examine the process of getting married. Courtship, which is the first process of marriage, is not an easy task. Claudia Kolker in her book, "The Immigrant Advantage: What We Can Learn from Newcomers to America about Health, Happiness, and Hope," tries to explain how South Asians court one another, and she believes that this series of social engagements with the intended partner is not a joke, and establishes that "courtship, is not (fun). It's a hunt for a spouse." As a result of this, it can be concluded that having a successful marriage is hard work (63). Hard work is an essential ingredient for success. It includes a strong determination to overcome all the challenges that we may encounter, and continue to push until the desired goals are accomplished. Hard work also means diligence.
