WTF is Success?
Success?
Success is an overhyped, over-glorified, and often misunderstood beast we’re all supposed to chase. Burst the bubble—WTF. Is it a six-figure salary? A house with a three-car garage? A blue check on social media? Society loves to package success into a neat little box with a fat price tag, but maybe, just maybe, we’ve been sold a lie.
The Traditional Success Trap
From birth, we’re programmed with a checklist: Get good grades, go to college, land a respectable job, buy a house, and retire with a hefty 401(k). Sounds great in theory—until you realize half the people who followed this script are drowning in debt, miserable in their cubicles, and drinking overpriced lattes just to feel something. If success is about following the rules, why does it feel like a damn trap? And let’s not forget the endless pursuit of titles, promotions, and bigger paychecks that leave many feeling unfulfilled, chasing a definition of success that was never truly theirs to begin with.
Redefining the Win
Here’s a radical thought: What if success has nothing to do with money, status, or approval? What if it’s about waking up excited, doing work that actually matters to you, and not feeling like a clog in someone else’s machine? Success might just be having the freedom to live on your own terms—even if that means making weird art in a basement or traveling the world with a backpack and zero plans. Maybe success isn’t climbing the ladder, but setting it on fire and building your own damn ship. Maybe it’s about deep human connections, personal growth, or mastering a skill purely for the love of it. If you measure success by joy and fulfillment instead of numbers and applause, you start to realize that real success is an inside job.
Fail Fast, Win Harder
The problem is, most people are terrified of failing, so they stick to the "safe" route—which, ironically, isn’t safe at all. Failure is just the cover charge for innovation, reinvention, and, ultimately, freedom. The most successful people? They’re the ones who’ve failed so epically; they should have their own highlight reels. Oprah was fired from her first job, Steve Jobs got booted from Apple, and J.K. Rowling was drowning in letters of rejection. The reason they made it? They didn’t let failure define them—they used it as fuel. So screw perfection—take the risk, start over, and own the mess. That’s where real success is built.
Success is a Moving Target
One of the biggest lies we’re told is that success is a finish line, a singular moment of "making it." But that’s bullshit. Success evolves as you do. The goals that once seemed like everything become stepping stones to bigger, bolder dreams. Maybe success for you right now is paying off a student loan, but in five years, it could be starting a business, moving to another country, or simply living a more balanced, peaceful life. The key is to stay open to new definitions of success as you grow. You get to decide when you’ve "made it," not society, not your parents, and definitely not social media.
Your Success, Your Rules
Bottom line? Success isn’t some universal formula. It’s deeply personal. It’s about what makes you feel alive, what challenges you, and what doesn’t make you want to fake your own death just to escape your routine. So, forget what the world says—define your own version of success and chase it like your life depends on it. Because, honestly? It does.
What’s your definition of success? Put on your Stupidbubble T' and drop us a comment below—we’d love to hear your take!