Kyle Bailey
The Search for Success
There is no unit to measure success, yet it is easy for us to judge whether or not someone has achieved success in their life. So what is it that defines success? The formal definition is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose, and the success stories and lessons we read about this marking period showed just that. Not all success is about being a millionaire and living in a mansion. For some, money has nothing to do with the success of a lifetime.
The character from The Great Gatsby that I learned the most relevant lesson is James
Gats. His love for Daisy Buchanan was the motivation for everything he did, not money or wealth. The only reason he wanted to be wealthy and throw flamboyant parties was to gain the approval and love of Daisy. The scene where this is most obviously seen is after the party when
Gatsby is talking to Nick Carraway by the pool. Gatsby says that none of his enormous wealth mattered to him without Daisy. This showed me that just because someone might be wealthy, it did not mean that they would be happy with their life. The age old saying that money does not buy happiness seemed to be true once again.
The Grapes of Wrath teaches about how success and wealth was more than just a monetary amount. The Joads lean on one another and use their family as a coping mechanism.
When their land is taken away, they look to one another as a crutch to support them through hard times. As the book goes on and the family gets smaller and smaller, their situation gets worse and worse because they lack the emotional support that was always there before. Family is the most important aspect in the ladder towards success. Without family there is no one to share the hardships and achievements with.

Sometimes hard work is not enough to clear the way to success. A little bit of luck can go a long way in life. Junkie Yoshida was a poor Japanese immigrant who left his family behind to pursue a life in America. From day one, Mr. Yoshida knew he would always have to work hard to stay afloat. He got a job at a local restaurant and made just enough to scrape by. At night he would take classes at a community college. Nights that he did not have class he would teach karate at the YMCA where he lived. For Christmas he could not afford gifts for his students so instead he made them teriyaki sauce. Immediately his students asked for more and told him how great the sauce was. He and his wife decided to make small batches in the basement and sell them to Costco, which was still a small grocery store at the time. As luck would have it, Costco grew exponentially and so did the demand for Yoshida Teriyaki Sauce. Nowadays, Yoshida’s business is worth millions and he is producing more than just sauces. Junkie Yoshida taught me that all it takes is one lucky break to make it big and to take all the chances I have the opportunity to take.
Someone else who has made it through tough situations and adversity is Bob Williamson.
At age 24 he was addicted to drugs, homeless, wanted by the police, and hitchhiking from one end of the country to the other. By age 62 he has sold his ninth business; a software company that went for $75 million. Bob Williamson has taught me that it is never too late to turn things around for the better. It took him to the edge of suicide to realize that life could be better than what he was making it. By selling a pint of blood for $7 he was able to get a room at a boarding house and start work cleaning bricks. Just as things started to look up for him, Williamson was in a head-on collision that left him hospitalized for three months. During that time, he read and reread the bible cover to cover and found a new inspiration in God. Faith gave Bob Williamson a newfound sense of forgiveness and love. I learned that even when things are looking down in

life, a little faith in something or someone can go a long way.
Having a positive attitude is one of the most important aspects to achieving success. Hard
Times Generation was another story about believing that there will be a brighter tomorrow. The multitude of stories were all faith driven and optimistic, no matter the circumstances. Dreams that the people of Appalachia strive towards are as simple as having boots like Hannah Montana to being as complicated and mature as getting their loved ones away from drugs and other addictions. The constant struggle against poverty and substance abuse causes the kids to grow up quickly and look other places for motivation to succeed. Finding the key motivator for oneself is essential to gaining a foothold towards a better life.
There is someone in my life that seems to have everything a young adult could ask for.
He has a car, a girlfriend, phone, laptop, gaming system, and is surrounded by people who care about him. Looking deeper, though, it is easy to see that Sean Martin works hard for all he has and never takes the easy road to accomplishment. Sean Martin is not only my best friend, but also my roommate. He is legally a homeless teen and has never met his father. Since he has recently been staying at my house his mother left him here in Northern Michigan and moved to
Florida. Yet through it all, Sean has never lost his motivation for success. During the past three months alone, Sean has been accepted to the University of Michigan and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. Also, he has earned the Culvers Employee of the Year award. Sean’s determination and ability to achieve great things during hard times has shown me that almost anything is possible with the proper work and devotion.
Success and the pathway to achieving it is different for everyone. It can be as small as buying a pair of boots or as complex as falling in love. It does not matter where someone comes

from or where they might be going, to gain success it takes hard work and sometimes a bit of luck.