Happiness is the Highest Level of Success

Success can be defined as the favourable outcome of something attempted or
the attainment of wealth, fame, etc. The opposite of success is failure.
Success, no doubt is what everyone wants to attain in whatever one does. However, along the line of the attainment of this success, people often forget what success really is.
Sometimes, people think they have succeeded when technically they have failed because what they have achieved might actually be just excellence and not success.
To back up what I said above, I'll bring this in(the main reason for this write-up) - "happiness is the highest level of success" . Is it all proclaimed successes that have happiness backing them up? What we should know is no matter what it is we pursue, we should never forget happiness because no matter how we see ourselves as successful, without happiness, we have only successfully failed. No level of success is higher than happiness, as good as excellence is, it lags behind happiness.
Let's bring in a short story to explain ourselves better.
There are two friends, Ted and Hector. Ted and Hector are best friends, very smart boys and share the same interests(till moment). These two boys dreamt of becoming professional photographers because of their love for photography and this common interest was the reason they became best friends. When it was time for them to pursue their professional careers, Hector ventured into photography while Ted couldn't because his parents believed he was too smart to go into photography and saw it as a way to 'waste' his smartness. Not having any choice, Ted went for Medicine and became a medical doctor. Ted was the best graduating student the day he graduated and Hector on the other hand became a big photographer that travels all over the world. Today, Ted earns £15000 and Hector coincidentally earns the same amount per month. Hector is very happy and travels round the world while Ted feels confined in the medical zone, isn't happy and wishes to live like his friend.
No doubt, Ted excelled but is he as successful as his friend, Hector? The only edge Hector has over him is happiness and that's an enough reason for the big gap between them.
Now, back to us, I think that story was able to explain to an extent how happiness is so important in success. It's never too late to change; ask yourself "do I like what I do; am I happy?" and if you do not like what you do and are not happy, why don't you go for what you like and what makes you happy?
Always have it in mind, no matter what you pursue, no matter what it is you want to attain, happiness is always the highest level of success.
I wish you all success in all your endeavours.

Koyum Kolade Afolabi [KK Awesome]

23rd March, 2016.