I’ve been thinking about success lately. Or, more specifically, how I’m going to measure it in regard to my life. There was a time, not that long ago, where I really thought it would be measured by my job title, the amount of money I had, the size of my house or what kind of car I drove. After spending so many years in a cubicle job that I loathed working down to the core of my being, I’ve learned a few things. The first is that I’ll never excel doing something I hate. I’ll never move up or get promoted because I’m not able to put the amount of energy into a job required to do so. I used to think that just being smarter than my coworkers would count for something and allow me to move around, but it clearly takes at least a modicum of interest in addition to ability. I simply didn’t have that interest in my last position. The second thing that has become clear is that it’s not the material things I’ll use to measure success. It’s going to be the experiences I’ve been able to provide myself, the people I’ve helped, and the change I’ve effected. I really believe the most satisfying work I’ll find for myself will be helping people in some way. Be it with their own lives, or perhaps just a laugh to get them through the day.

A friend of mine is staying with me now. Tonight is the first night he’s staying in my apartment. It’s nice. I like having someone around to just bullshit with and watch tv before going to bed. He’s also basically the most funny person I’ve ever met. We just laugh and laugh when we are together. We’re able to play off each other really well. I hope things turn out well for him. I really do.