To my mind, the most unusual kind of pressure that we experience today is feeling the need for success, not happiness.

This issue is especially obvious due to social media. We are bombarded all the time by images of people posting about their new cars, expensive travels, accomplishments, their routine, etc. After seeing too much of such images, it gets easy to compare our daily life with the best moments of another person.

For example, I found myself thinking that I am losing ground because somebody seems to be going forward faster than me. However, the point is that we usually do not have an idea of what goes on behind the pictures.

Besides, there is a certain stereotype of what success means good income, nice job, comfortable life style, constant development. Yet, what if for somebody success means having spare time, living near his/her family, gaining knowledge about some subjects and being peaceful?

Ambition does not necessarily mean something negative. It may be a good driver to achieve more.

The only point is when appearance of success becomes more important than its real meaning.

True success becomes increasingly elusive since everybody seems to follow a different scorecard.

For some people, it might be determined by wealth. Other people will care more about freedom, relationships, education, well-being, and being able to control their schedule. There is no one-size-fits-all formula that determines whether somebody is succeeding in his/her life.

Moreover, I believe that pursuing the illusion of success may become rather tiring. If you are always trying to convince others that you are doing great, you start making decisions not for your own benefit but in order to impress the audience. You are buying stuff that you do not necessarily need, comparing accomplishments, and feeling guilty for failing to advance.

I would prefer to live my life so that it will be meaningful without any witnesses rather than impress the world.

This approach does not mean quitting my goals; it just means remembering the meaning behind them.

In the end, people on the Internet will see your accomplishments, but they will not have to live your life.

And, therefore, I think success is meant to be experienced, not demonstrated.