Some individuals try to become successful through their career or education, but being successful can mean different things to different people. For some, success is a measure of wealth, for others a measure of happiness. For my part, I align myself with the ones who think being truly happy is the real success.
For generations, success has been associated with material wealth. We considered that owning a house, a car, and all sorts of gadgets, made us successful in the eyes of our peers. Additionally, intellectual wealth added another layer of success on top of the existing one. Doctors, engineers, and entrepreneurs were successful through their careers. But recently, things started to change and the notion of success evolved. Most people of my generation now think that being satisfied with your life, enjoying the small things, and being truly happy are the goals people should focus on to reach success.
Today, people tend to be less interested in wealth and prestige and realise that happiness might be the only important measure of success. The notion success slowly shifted from being associated to material wealth, to being mostly attached to emotional wealth. The dreams of becoming surgeon, entrepreneur, or banker changed and became, globe-trotter, teacher, and kayak instructor, respectively.
To conclude, even though success can still mean plenty of things to different people, from wealth to happiness, and everything in between. I believe that the only measure for this concept is happiness.