There’s a question that has followed me over the years, whispering through different moments:
“What does success mean to you now?”

The answer has changed. Completely.

There was a time when I thought I knew.
Success looked like titles. Results. Speed.
It was something you could measure and show — a number, a promotion, a new purchase, a passport stamped with ambition.

But then came the shifts — becoming a father, moving across borders, leaving behind familiar paths. I don’t need to tell that story again — I’ve written about it before.
What I haven’t fully shared is what happened afterward.

Because once the dust settled, the noise slowly disappeared, I found myself with something unexpected: Time.
Time to sit.
Time to reflect.
Time to talk with myself.

I started thinking about the kind of life I was building —
not just what it looked like from the outside, but how it felt to live it.
I began to ask:
“Does this life reflect what matters most to me?”

I didn’t find the answers all at once.
They came slowly, like morning light filtering through drawn curtains.
I started to notice that I no longer longed for recognition.
I wasn’t chasing numbers anymore.
Instead, I wanted meaning.

And with that shift, something beautiful began. I started writing.

Not with a grand publishing plan or marketing strategy — I just started.
First, a Children’s Christmas storybook. Then, a big city adventure children’s book. And now, another Christmas project filled with hope and kindness. Three books, written from my heart.
I also began sharing daily quote’s reflections, and my short thoughts on social media — sincere and simple, never designed to go viral but always written with care.

And you know what?
I don’t dream of bestseller lists.
I don’t compare myself to authors with teams and spotlights.

I have something else.
Something that makes me feel rich in a different way.

I have the thought that one day, my son — now a boy, someday a man — will hold one of my books in his hands and say,
“This was my dad’s book. He wrote it for me.”

That alone is enough. More than enough.

For years, we’ve been taught to reach higher, move faster, and want more.
But sometimes success isn’t about climbing.
Sometimes, it’s about staying. Listening. Rooting yourself in what matters most.

For me, success is showing up for my child with presence.
It’s writing something honest and true.
It’s creating a simple life where the most valuable things can grow.

Success, now, is not what others see.
It’s what I feel when I close my eyes at night — knowing I lived today with intention.

It’s a handwritten note.
A bedtime story.
A moment of connection with someone who reads my words and feels less alone.

It’s a legacy, not a spotlight.
It’s a depth, not a display.
It’s knowing that the small life I’ve built — right here, from home — is not small at all.

So yes, everything changed when I changed my definition of success.
And I wouldn’t go back for anything.

This drawing hangs in my workspace.
It’s not from a publisher. Not from a review.
It’s from the person who matters most.

I don’t need more.
This is my A+.
This is success.

GK

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Published by georgi.kisyov

37 thoughts on “Everything Changed When I Changed My Definition of Success”

    1. Hello Rene,
      Thank you so much! 🌟 That’s one of the thoughts that really stayed with me while I was writing this piece. Sometimes the most meaningful progress isn’t about going higher or faster — it’s about standing still long enough to notice what truly matters.
      Have a wonderful Friday.
      Regards,
      Georgi

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  4. Hello Georgi. Beautiful words. I can identify with many aspects of your life as I read your writings…you do an excellent job of writing what is on your heart. Thanks for sharing this post. As a husband and father of 2 myself (adults now) I have walked through similar questions and have learned “there is a better way” to live each day. Peace to you and your family. MC

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    1. Hello MC,
      Thank you so much for these kind words. It means a lot to know my writing resonates with someone who’s walked a similar path. I truly believe we discover “the better way” through these questions — and it’s a journey worth taking. Wishing peace and joy to you and your family as well. 🙏
      Have a wonderful Friday.
      Regards,
      Georgi

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    1. Hello,
      Thank you for sharing your perspective. I think many of us reach that moment when stepping away from the noise becomes the real measure of success. Wishing you continued peace and contentment on your journey. 🙏
      Have a great Friday.
      Regards,
      Georgi

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  6. Living is like walking, with each solid step on the ground. We do not walk for any other person. We walk for ourselves. I think, Georgi, you are living your success.

    The picture your son did is simple yet powerful. From my perspective, the plus sign means I am a bit better than yesterday. Thanks for your inspiring post, my friend.

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    1. Hello there,
      Thank you, my friend — I really love the way you’ve described living, step by step, for ourselves. And your thought about the plus sign is beautiful… a reminder that even small progress matters. I’m so glad the post spoke to you. 🙏
      I wish you a wonderful day.
      Regards,
      Georgi

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  10. I’ve been working on a book of my essays that I plan to eventually publish in paperback with Lulu Press (self publishing Print On Demand press) and on Kindle Unlimited, so that my kids will have it. They all follow my blog and tell me they enjoy my writing, and talk to me about what they particularly liked or didn’t like about recent posts, but I want them to have an actual tangible book they can read to THEIR kids when I’m dead and gone.

    Our kids are our best markers of success. It looks like you are a roaring success, Georgi. According to my kids, so am I. 🙂

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    1. Hello friend,
      What a beautiful project — your kids will treasure that book for years to come, and passing it down to their own children will make it even more special. 📚 I completely agree — our children really are the truest markers of success. I’m so glad to hear you’re already a “roaring success” in their eyes. That’s the best recognition we could ever receive. 🙂
      Have a wonderful weekend.
      Regards,
      Georgi

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  13. This is beautifully expressed. I feel the same, perhaps not so much in imagining my daughters holding my book, but in knowing they see the choices I make and the example I set. My hope is that they grow into their own definitions of success, knowing they are loved, supported, and cared for. For me, my greatest achievement will always be them.

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    1. Hello,
      Thank you for sharing this—it really touched me. I feel exactly the same. Our children watch more than they listen, and the choices we make become quiet lessons for them. Your hope for your daughters is beautiful, and I’m sure they already see in you the love, support, and care you give. Like you, I believe our greatest achievement will always be our children.
      Regards,
      Georgi

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    1. Rosie, thank you so much for this. You’re right—those are some of the hardest lessons to learn, but also the most valuable ones. Climbing has its place, but staying, listening, and rooting ourselves in what truly matters often brings the deepest kind of success. I’m grateful my words resonated with you. 🌿✨

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