Life. Whether it "succeeds" or not (ignoring the biological succession pun) is in the eye of the beholder, but choosing whether to care or not is a fairly continuous active choice for the individual. At some point in life some of us may reach a state of not caring whether personally or societally important individual life goals are reached. Not caring can offer some nice freedom, although it might be unsettling for some people (akin to being disassociated from reality).
Non-commercial endeavors, aka hobbies or passions. Dancing, playing music, woodworking, etc. For me it's music, dance, massage, and building things. All of these can be shared, directly/physically or at least in ways other people see and experience.
Massage is my most practical example. I have some training, but I don't do it for money or profession. With friends, family, and lovers, there are many opportunities. And when traveling in places where massage is common, I occasionally offer to trade places with the therapist in the latter part of the time. Many therapists who work for a living are in great need of massage and therefore most appreciative. It is very rewarding. (I still pay the full price for my massage I received.)
People who blog (not me) are very admirable. Most of them earn nothing, and often what they write is of value to others. This is very true for tech people who write solutions to bugs or problems or who build tutorials just to share. These latter cases often result in financial gain for their readers!
This is actually the answer I came here looking for-- with some unexpected flavorful details! Sad to see it so far down in the thread.
Letting go of whether I 'succeed at life' has been a difficult and ongoing process. I also think it's one of the most important and freeing personal psychological developments one can experience.
Life. Whether it "succeeds" or not (ignoring the biological succession pun) is in the eye of the beholder, but choosing whether to care or not is a fairly continuous active choice for the individual. At some point in life some of us may reach a state of not caring whether personally or societally important individual life goals are reached. Not caring can offer some nice freedom, although it might be unsettling for some people (akin to being disassociated from reality).
Non-commercial endeavors, aka hobbies or passions. Dancing, playing music, woodworking, etc. For me it's music, dance, massage, and building things. All of these can be shared, directly/physically or at least in ways other people see and experience.
Massage is my most practical example. I have some training, but I don't do it for money or profession. With friends, family, and lovers, there are many opportunities. And when traveling in places where massage is common, I occasionally offer to trade places with the therapist in the latter part of the time. Many therapists who work for a living are in great need of massage and therefore most appreciative. It is very rewarding. (I still pay the full price for my massage I received.)
People who blog (not me) are very admirable. Most of them earn nothing, and often what they write is of value to others. This is very true for tech people who write solutions to bugs or problems or who build tutorials just to share. These latter cases often result in financial gain for their readers!