We are now over a third of the way through the Bloganuary challenge and today’s prompt asks another thought-provoking question.

I believe that success is personal. We are each unique and our definition of success will vary accordingly. For some it might be achieving career goals, and accumulating material possessions and money.

For others success might be seen as a positive contribution to the society we live in, having healthy relationships and being content with where we are in life.

Success could also be a combination of all these elements. As with so many things in life, our idea of what defines success can change as we get older and have more life experience.

When I look back, I think that the major successes in my life include having a career that I loved and enjoyed. It might have been challenging at times but it was certainly never boring. I didn’t become a teacher for material gain but because I hoped that working with children and young people might make a difference to their lives.

Another considerable success in my life is, with my husband, bringing up two well-balanced (mostly!) sons who are considerate, caring and principled adults.

Last thing at night or first thing in the morning, I often look back on my ‘successes’ from the previous day. They might appear to be quite small; walking more than ten thousand steps, meeting up with a friend, or finishing a book.

I like to think I have reached a stage where I am content – definitely a success – and finishing this Bloganuary Challenge will definitely be my success story for this month!