"Success" is something they designed so others could determine its prerequisites and metrics. Victory is personal. I always teach - forget about success, success doesn't exist as a real sentiment. It's a lie, a man-made concept created by bankers and politicians. Who is considered the most "successful" today? Those who slave away and serve the system the most efficiently, no? Am I wrong? Victory, on the other hand, is your natural state. Victory is about adventure. Perseverance. Victory over the self, over the elements, over conditions and thresholds and limitations. They diverted your from victory in exchange for success, and told you that they were one and the same. Well, I'm showing you that they are not. Release yourself from its grip. Never chase success, but be victorious always on your personal journey. 🙏 --- Success is sometimes determined by simply not stepping into arenas where you know you hold no advantage, and allowing yourself to flow into the ones that provide the least resistance. Example: I never went into professional sports because I knew half of my opponents would cheat and be drugged up. This was the norm just as much back then as it is now. I was incredibly talented when young but also did not think I could devote my life to training combat sports exclusively, nor could I afford the "lifestyle" it took to get me there. I also loved art, poetry, music and lazy days. I loved martial arts for its philosophy and lessons in confidence, but I was not willing to do what it took, at that time, to properly succeed in it. And I don't regret it at all whatsoever, even if I did end up having a rather unhealthy lifestyle for years after - it was absolutely the correct choice to cast. I am still of the opinion that I ended up healthier in the long run than I otherwise would have. Sometimes it's better to deny yourself engaging altogether. There is a price to pay for every single interaction in life that involves competing with others, or facing off against systemic injustice, or doing incredibly challenging and demanding things. There are always hidden hands and influences at play, and people will do whatever they can to win - mostly out of fear, because most humans live life afraid - even when dishonorable. Sport, ultimately, is a dishonorable pastime - and so are many other things, like politics, or large-scale business, or showbiz - you learn that very quickly as soon as you get involved. If you wish to succeed in these arenas, you also need to dishonour yourself to a degree, take a bit of the mud and rub yourself with it. If you don't - you're probably not winning. I say this because I want the youth to understand that picking your battles is oftentimes more important than fighting them. There is no shame in swimming with the tide sometimes - as long as you know where you're going and where you want to end up. Not every uphill battle needs to be fought. And you don't have to come out of every situation feeling like a winner, even if it is within your capacity to do so. Sometimes victory is a small and personal thing - and it is in the happy moments where you realize, even if you once doubted it, that you made the correct decision to save yourself for better journeys and brighter and less stressful days. Remember, whenever you get melancholic about "what could have been", don't forget that all of it would have come at the cost of "what is now". And what is now is not that bad at all, is it? Try to practice gratitude for how things did turn out, life could have dealt you a much worse hand than you hold now. Not only are you still in the game, but you also have a strong moral foundation, self-respect and a good head on your shoulders. Society does not understand success, it only understands appearances. Success, in truth, is measured only by you having found your happiness, your happy place in life - where you truly feel content and fulfilled. That fulfillment looks different for every person, and you must determine where that happy corner is for you. Sometimes you don't have to fight for it. Sometimes all you have to do is become aware that you've always had it. And claim and accept it.