What Does it Mean to be Successful at 25?
In September 2019, I stood on a stage alongside the crew of the sailing yacht Puritan having just accepted the “Overall Winner” award at the Monaco Classic Regatta. Shaking the Prince of Monaco's hand as we were applauded by a packed room at one of the most prestigious yacht clubs in the world, I had a very clear moment of realisation: this was a success. There I stood, a boy from the other side of the world, who only a year earlier had been running amuck in the jungles of South America, with no comprehension that this world even existed. And yet, this was only a fleeting moment of success, once the euphoria of the presentation had passed, I was once again filled with a void. I began questioning my purpose, what the hell was I doing in the South of France? Was I wasting my time? Should I have stayed at home and gotten a job instead?
Seven years earlier I was sitting in a classroom in Freshwater, stressing the fuck out about the upcoming HSC examinations. Along with most of my classmates, we were under the impression that these pen-to-paper tests would be the defining point of our lives. Our future 'success' would be determined by how well we did in our exams.
What I didn't understand at the time, was that success can't be determined by numbers on a piece of paper, we define our own success. While some people may find success in getting the top marks in an exam, some people may feel that just having a go at the exam is a success in itself.
Friedrich Nietzsche once said, "You have your way, I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way and the only way, it does not exist." This can be interpreted in many different ways, but for me, I feel like it reinforces the idea that everyone is running their own race, and you don't have to worry about anyone else's results but your own. And while this is a healthy mindset to adopt, and one that should be encouraged from a young age, it often takes going through periods of feeling unsuccessful to appreciate what true success really is.
Your definition of success will change through the course of your life. As you grow older, things you once found important will slowly lose value to you, and you will place that value into other aspects of your life.
Looking back at standing on that stage in Monaco, if I had left home with the goal to win the “Overall Winner's” prize then that moment would truly have been a success. But because I was looking at the whole trip as a goal in itself, then this success wouldn't become clear until later.
Oscar Long accepting the ‘Overall Winner"‘ award at the Monaco Classic Regatta along side his team.
Hindsight is a hell of a thing. One thing I've come to learn is that you can be successful one day, and a failure the next. Your success, or should I say the perception of success. is predetermined by what you place importance on. It's up to you to define what’s a win and what’s a loss.
Written by Oscar Long
Any information on this blog is not a substitute for professional advice. It is written from personal experience and research only. If you are in crisis, go to your nearest emergency room, call lifeline on 13 11 14 or dial 000.