Success or failure

Look at your Facebook feed: ads gleaming with Lamborghinis and yachts, selling dreams dipped in luxury, 20 new high ticket clients a month etc. They poke at our insecurities, whispering, “This is what success looks like.” We’re lured in, believing that happiness is just a purchase away, that life’s worth is measured by the shine of our possessions or how many clients we have. This is the illusion that fuels our endless chase.

The foundations laid down in a shitty childhood where we were never heard, told we would not be good enough, and vowed to show them our worth.

So, picture an ad with a homeless man in a doorway, holding a plastic cup asking for change. No one’s buying that, right? It doesn’t sell the dream. It’s not aspirational. But why? Both the man in luxury, the Lamborghini and the man in rags are living their story, breathing the same air, experiencing the moment.

Yet, we’re conditioned to crave one and disregard the other, to idolise wealth and success as society defines it, while turning a blind eye to what doesn’t sparkle. We’re conditioned to prove ourselves through our achievements, to offset our feelings of lack.

This is the illusion — that one life is inherently more valuable or desirable than another based on material achievements. It drives us to strive endlessly, to climb ladders that lead to nowhere.

We’re chasing a horizon that keeps shifting, believing that “just one more” achievement, purchase, or accolade will complete us.
But in this relentless pursuit, what are we missing? The beauty of the present moment, the stories of those we consider “less” than successful, the simple joys that don’t cost a thing. These ads, these images of luxury, they don’t sell happiness; they sell a mirage, one that keeps us thirsty no matter how much we drink.

This is a collective dream, which makes it more pervasive and you need balls to question the narrative. What if success isn’t about the car you drive but the lives you touch? What if wealth isn’t in your bank account but in your heart’s capacity to love, to empathise, to connect? To be your authentic self.

If we truly look, with an open tender heart. We can find value in every person’s story, see the richness in diversity of experience, and redefine what it means to live a successful, fulfilling life. It’s not about the material trophies; it’s about the amount of kindness, resilience, and love you share no matter your circumstances.