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What Is True Success? A Reflection for Parents

 

A few days ago, we all woke up to the news of Ratan Tata’s passing. Since then, I’ve been reading countless stories about how he impacted the lives of so many people—those he knew and even those he didn’t. It got me thinking, What does true success really look like?

While I was mulling over this, my daughter came to me excitedly, sharing how one of her classmates had scored a perfect 100/100 in their mid-term exams. I could see it in her eyes—she saw that as success. And why wouldn’t she? As kids, they’re constantly shown that grades are a way to be recognized, praised, and celebrated. It’s natural for them to think that’s the ultimate goal.

But as we started talking more, it hit me how much the idea of success changes as we grow up. For kids, success often starts with those grades or trophies. As adults, though, our definitions can shift in so many directions. For some, it’s about climbing the career ladder, making money, or gaining recognition. For others, it’s more about personal fulfillment, growth, or even spiritual peace. The meaning of success becomes a lot more personal as we get older.

And yet, as parents, we sometimes end up pushing our version of success onto our children, don’t we? We want them to excel, but what we define as excelling may not be what resonates with them as they grow. This can lead to those familiar teenage arguments when kids start to realize that their dreams and definitions don’t quite line up with ours.

Maybe it’s time we pause and ask ourselves: Are we letting our kids define success for themselves? Or are we subtly pushing our own ideas onto them? Because the truth is, my version of success and my child’s might look completely different—and that’s okay.

At the end of the day, success is about more than just achievements or milestones. It’s about fulfillment, joy, and becoming the person we’re meant to be. As parents, our job isn’t to define that journey for our kids. It’s to walk alongside them as they discover it for themselves.

Happy parenting!!!

Manika.

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