What Is Success?

Co-authored by Emily Thomas and Marsha McCullough

No matter who you are, you find yourself thinking about what success is, and, how you can lay the foundation for it -- personally and professionally. All three writers on this post see this issue through the same view. We believe that success is ever changing, and evolving. What may be defined as success for one person today can easily change a few weeks or years later. There is no mold or equation for success as it is defined differently for everyone. To achieve it, one should use their strengths and values, while recognizing that obstacles and setbacks are also a part of the process.

And yet, this is nowhere near the last word on the topic. A huge part of HuffPost's growth has been powered by contributors, men and women, around the world in various fields and walks of life. They often write about the ideas and expectations of others. So we thought it would be fun to interview 50 HuffPost bloggers -- millennials, baby boomers, and the "in between-ers" -- about their view of success: a collaborative, "social media list concept" that has never been done on this platform.

We often think we know people, but when they share a glimpse of their story, the unseen path they are walking, and the vision that animates and informs their actions, we then understand that humanity is incredibly rich and layered, just like the definition of success itself. In 2013, Arianna Huffington told the graduates of Smith College that the definition of success is "well-being, wisdom, our ability to wonder, and, to give back." And these are themes you'll see over and over again as you read the perspectives of the bloggers we interviewed.

We hope this not only produces dialogue, but also inspires readers to live the best version of themselves, and to be an architect of their own greatness.