Success is getting out of bed, when the weight of the world descends upon our shoulders.

It is responding instead of reacting to a disagreement with a boyfriend.

Success is knowing we are doing the best we can, even when it feels like it is not good enough.

Success is picking up on another’s sadness through the mask of her smile. It is no longer hiding our feelings from anyone, and everyone.

Success is walking away from a relationship that is no longer fulfilling our soul.

Success is beginning a weight loss program, and not feeling guilty when we cheat on day two. It is breaking through the shame that has clouded our being for years, and feeling what nobody wants to feel.

Success is saying “I have a problem,” even though we have denied it for years.

Success is changing a pattern of denial by taking off our rose-colored glasses. It is also feeling deeply saddened when the truth takes our breath away.

Success is asking for a raise whether we get it or not. It is closing our eyes and imagining the world a better place, and then sending love to everyone, including those who have hurt us.

Success is taking one baby step forward and two giant steps back. It is taking chances.

Success is knowing everything we are going through in life is preparing us for what we asked for.

Success is replacing judgement with love, disrespect with honor, and fear with faith.

Success is having no regrets, no matter how many times we mess up, because we get that we are all here to learn. And it is knowing that saying “I’m sorry” never gets old.

Success is feeling less than in the face of someone else’s success and then remembering that abundance is the truth of life.

Success is healing an old wound that left a hole in our heart, and then finding another one just below it.

Success is coming out of the closet without knowing who will be left standing by our side.

Success is when the agoraphobic woman walks out of her house, the hoarder throws away a bag of his possessions, and the pathological liar tells the truth.

Success is the smile of a child, the connection with a friend, and the tears brought on by the beauty of a song.

Success is loving the parts of ourselves that lurk in the darkness, and then allowing those parts to see the light of day.

Success is walking into a bar and walking back out without feeding our alcohol addiction. It is owning up, taking responsibility for our actions—no matter how bad it looks. And it is asking for help.

Success is when we look beyond our zip code and the amount of Instagram followers. It is the moment we open our hearts and begin loving ourselves, no matter what life dumped upon our doorstep.

Success is knowing success does not happen overnight and we will spend many days wondering if it is all worth it. And perhaps it will be, the moment we open our heart to feel the love that our soul has been sharing with us all along.

For it is then that we see the truth that success is simply the courage to play each and every day in the game we call life.