Redefining Success: Love, Ikigai & the Power of Community

What if success wasn’t about how much you earn but about who’s sitting at your dinner table?

We’ve been taught to measure success by numbers, titles, and promotions. Although money provides security and ambition propels us forward, these factors don't provide a complete picture. Because if you reach those milestones but feel empty or alone, is that really success?

Truthfully, I believe success is deeply personal. It’s about defining what gives you energy, what keeps you going when you fail, and what builds you back up again.

The Paradox of Success

There’s nothing wrong with ambition. Wanting financial independence, a big career move, or recognition for your work are valid and powerful motivators. But they can’t stand alone. Success based only on external measures often feels fragile – it’s there one moment, gone the next.

Redefining Success for Yourself

This is where Ikigai comes in. Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being”. It sits at the intersection of four things:

• What you love.

• What you’re excelling at

• What the world needs

• What you can be paid for

When you look at success through that lens, it shifts. It’s no longer about chasing only one metric. It becomes about alignment, about finding the combination that fuels you.

The Role of Love and Connection

And then there’s love. This is not just romantic love, but the kind of love that comes from friendships, family, mentors, colleagues, and communities that lift you higher. Love is what multiplies success. It’s what makes achievements more joyful, failures less painful, and life more meaningful.

Success is sustainable when you are surrounded by people who celebrate, challenge, and remind you of who you are and can be.

Redefine Your Own

So here’s the challenge:

• Ask yourself: when did you last feel truly successful?

• Write it down: not just what you achieved, but who was there with you.

• Redefine it: create your own success checklist. Maybe it’s energy, love, fulfilment, or growth. Maybe it’s laughter at the end of a long day.

Success isn’t a destination; it’s a circle of energy. The more love you pour in, through people, purpose, and passion, the more it will build you right back up when life knocks you down.