“Success should not be measured so much by the position one has reached in life as by the obstacles he has overcome,” Booker T. Washington, a stated that success is not measured by a person's wealth and status, but by the hard work and commitment they put in to achieve their goals while overcoming challenges along the way. Washington makes a brilliant point, although others would disagree and instead view the documents as a measure of success. When did success start to be measured acquisitively? Modern society has forced people – through television, social media and iconic celebrities – to believe that success is entirely linked to the materialistic objects, luxuries, money and fame a person has. On the contrary, success has nothing to do with money and fame, but rather with the characteristics it takes - dedication, perseverance and motivation - to overcome obstacles, achieve personal goals and find happiness within yourself . To succeed, you have to overcome challenges. and the obstacles they face along their journey to success. Most people confuse this concept by believing that success is determined by the amount of money a person has in the bank, and when faced with an obstacle, that money can simply be added to the table to solve all the problems. complications. This concept, however, lacks ideas of courage and dedication to confront problems head on. Money can buy comfort and luxury, but it cannot replace hard work and experience gained from overcoming life's challenges. For example, Oprah Winfrey is one of the most famous, iconic and richest people in the world. She is recognized worldwide as a successful woman because she is a millionaire and a celebrity...... middle of paper ...... have created the unrealistic idea that money and fame can be used to make their way through life, leaving them without goals to achieve; it is not a success. Success is finding motivation and implementing it to achieve a set goal, and then, with patience and persistence, achieving that goal over time. For example, the hit TV show The Biggest Loser shows the lives of many overweight people and their goal of losing weight over a 17-week period. Each participant on the show is a successful person because they had a set goal in mind and used their knowledge and motivation to achieve it. Although some participants lost more weight than others, everyone attempted the challenge and held on for as long as they physically could. Instead of using money to buy liposuction or high-quality diet pills, they put their heart and soul into a set goal and achieved it, which made them successful..