Success Stories Articles

Medically reviewed by Julie A. Dodson, MA, LCSW

A success story generally occurs when a person achieves something worthy of notice or gain, including fortune, acclaim, or a seemingly inaccessible goal. Success stories may reflect how someone becomes rich and rises to great fortune, or they may explain how an individual made an impact on the world. Being a subjective experience, success usually differs from person to person. Thus, a “success story” could be anything; perhaps someone left a toxic relationship and successfully healed from the pain that it caused, adopted a sick animal and brought it back to health, or was the first in their family to graduate with a college degree. An online or in-person therapist can help you determine your definition of success and work to reach your goals.

Defining success

Success can mean something different to each person. What comes to mind when you hear the word “success"? One might picture a millionaire, CEO, or Olympic athlete. However, each person usually defines success according to their own subjective experience. Many aspects of your life, such as your family history, culture, ethnicity, and religious background, can contribute to what you interpret as success. Accordingly, what you categorize as a great achievement might not be the same to others. 

Maybe you think of success as getting through the day and managing a panic attack, whereas someone else may think of success as being able to quit drinking. Another person might picture themselves winning an award for completing a marathon or establishing boundaries with another individual. What is easy for some may not be easy for others, and one's definition of success may be as unique as they are.

Living your own success story

In defining success for yourself, keep in mind that you are unique, and success can be different for each person. Your abilities and capacity for reaching what you see as greatness may be determined by several factors. Consider the following:

• Your personal belief system and values as vital components in your story
• Self-determination, or your ability to make and act on decisions
• Measuring success as a state of mind and/or a process
• Building connections and friendships to help support you along your path

If you are looking to attain a goal or achieve your own success story, know that you do not have to imitate someone else’s achievements to be successful. Identify what is important to you, determine which goal or dream reflects your individual standards for success, and follow it to the finish. This is not necessarily easy, and reaching for support along the way can help you find the strength and self-awareness you may need to write your own success story.

Allowing space for setbacks 

When looking for a path to successful achievements in life’s journey, you may be discouraged when a failure occurs, or an obstacle gets in your way. Reaching a goal or taking steps toward success is often accompanied by unsuccessful moments and setbacks along the way. You may hesitate to take the leap into this journey because you are concerned you will fail or that it may not be worth the extreme effort it takes. However, if you choose not to take the risk, you may be actively impeding your chances of making your own success story.

Becoming a better communicator

In general, everyone has a different way of communicating, with some finding it difficult to verbally establish boundaries. One way of finding success can be to set appropriate limits with others. Healthy boundaries can protect a person’s integrity and physical well-being through clear communication about what is considered acceptable behavior. 

When you feel comfortable setting boundaries, you may have increased self-awareness about what does not support your well-being and what goes against your priorities. This self-awareness and confidence are skills that will likely contribute to you building your own success story.

You might struggle with saying “no,” or feel unsure regarding how to ask for what you want. These are communication skills you can usually learn in therapy. Your therapist can help you establish healthy boundaries as you work on setting personal goals and aspirations. There can be many ways to achieve success, and a therapist can help you identify the best route for you.

Finding success in therapy

Finding success in therapy often involves finding ways to curb your negative thinking. If you are working with a therapist who uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), they will likely help you work through your negative thought patterns to replace them with healthier ones.

Benefits of online therapy

Online therapy can be an excellent way to get the professional insight and guidance you deserve on your own time and from the location of your choice. You can further personalize the therapy experience by choosing between phone call, videoconference, and online chat for your sessions. This can make it simple to work through any barriers you may be experiencing on your journey toward success.

Effectiveness of online therapy

Although more research may be needed regarding the efficacy of online therapy for finding success, a large body of evidence suggests that online therapy can be effective in treating many potential barriers to success, such as depression and anxiety. For instance, a 2018 meta-analysis stated that face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and internet-delivered CBT are generally equally effective at treating these conditions.

Takeaway

Success stories usually refer to stories of people achieving something great. You can write and live your own success story by first defining what success means to you and then working toward your goals and moving past potential setbacks. Therapy, whether online or in-person, can be an instrumental tool throughout this process.