Choose *YOUR* type of success

“We’ve got one of the most ridiculous and paradoxical ideas at large in modern society – is this idea of work-life balance. In other words, you can be a success at work, and you can be a success at home with your family. … The bad news for listeners is that you can’t.” — ALAIN DE BOTTON

http://www.npr.org/2013/11/01/240782763/what-s-a-kinder-way-to-frame-success
and click the audio link (not the video)

or transcript here: http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=240782763

“DE BOTTON: You know, there’s a problem because – well, you know, as anyone who’s ever tried to do anything well and wholeheartedly knows, there’s only so many hours in the day. So we have to make some choices. What do we want to be successful at, and as? Do we want to be a successful parent? Do we want to be successful financially or in terms of reputation, or in terms of changing the world or – you know, there are many, many criteria. And I think we’re not given enough of a guidance by our schools, families, the surrounding environment, at the idea that there’s going to have to be a choice around that word “successful.” So don’t get me wrong. I’m not against success. It’s very important to strive to be successful. But before you do that, I think it’s even more important to try and tighten up the definition of what success might be for you ’cause it’s unlikely to be something that will be, you know, a one-size-fits-all.”

One American Dream is dead

“There might actually be two American dreams.

There’s the Mark Zuckerberg American dream, which is that anyone can start… Horatio Alger… You can start in your garage and shoot the moon. And I got the sense just from the interviews we did that people think that American dream is still very much alive and well; that that’s possible.

But what’s less possible is this other American dream, which was that if you worked hard and you got an education, that you’re going to get a job, that you’re going to get a house, that you will get married and get two kids, the “Leave it to Beaver” American dream.

And I think that is the American dream that people feel today is so challenged.”

— ANDREW ROSS SORKIN
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/economic-reality-wiping-american-dream/

(The original article/poll from the NYTimes: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/many-feel-the-american-dream-is-out-of-reach-poll-shows/)