Redefining The Meaning of Success: LinkedIn Speaker Series with Arianna Huffington

Everyone strives for success. Oftentimes, we measure our success by how much money we make, our ability to climb the corporate ladder, or the car we drive. Those things represent an outward appearance of success, but do money and fancy cars fully encompass what it means to be successful in life?

Arianna Huffington, Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post, was a recent guestof the LinkedIn Speaker Series, and she shared her thoughts about what’s missing from our current definition of success. In her book, Thrive, Arianna talks about a new metric for success – one that helps us not just succeed, but thrive. This metrics takes into account our health & our happiness, in addition to our career success. It consists of four pillars:

Well-Being: We sacrifice a lot more than our time when we push ourselves to the limit. It’s vital to our health, career and success to treat ourselves more kindly – getting in the recommended eight hours of sleep a night, staying active, and making sure we’re taking time to recharge with our friends and family.

Wisdom: In a world where we’re constantly emailing, texting, tweeting, and updating, it’s easy to live a reactionary life – one where we’re constantly being pulled in multiple directions and feeling stressed. We have to narrow our focus to the things that are truly important or truly urgent.

Wonder: Taking a few moments to fully appreciate a sunny day or a friendly gesture from a coworker can boost our spirits and reduce stress. Make sure you take the time to reconnect with the small joys in life to keep daily stresses in perspective.

Giving: Volunteering, donating, and doing random acts of kindness are not just about good karma. Studies have shown that people who participate in volunteer programs are happier, healthier, and more productive at work. Take a look at volunteer opportunities in LinkedIn’s Volunteer Marketplace to identify ways you can use your talents to make a positive impact.

The full video of Arianna’s talk at LinkedIn Speaker Series is below:

Inspired by this talk, I’m taking some time out, turning off my phone, and going for a walk around the lovely city I call home, San Francisco. I’ll have the chance to rethink the way I define what makes me successful day-to-day at work -- and focus more on how I can thrive for a lifetime.