父母對子女一定有期望，最起碼是想他們健康快樂、生活無憂。另外，就算不是“飛黃騰達”，也希望他們做個成功的人。
健康快樂不需要定義，大家都清楚是什麼。但“成功”究竟是什麼呢？若對子女說：“我希望你長大後是個成功的人。”子女反問：“你說的成功是什麼？”你會怎樣答呢？
財富＝成功？
若以社會的主流觀念做標準，賺很多錢肯定是成功的一種。但這是我們希望子女走的方向嗎？金錢是好是壞，人人都有不同答案。
Hal Urban在Life's Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter中，這樣描述大家對金錢的愛恨交纏關係：
We can't seem to make up our minds whether money is good or bad. When someone is described as successful, it usually means he or she is wealthy. So it must be good.
But they say money can't buy happiness. So it must be bad. Wealthy people contribute(貢獻) billions of dollars each year to worthy causes(有意義的事業). So, it's good. But haven't we heard that money is the root of all evil? Now, it's bad again. People who aren't rich criticize those who are, but would love to be rich themselves. So, which is it, good or bad?
有說︰"Money is the root of all evil."（金錢是萬惡之本。）但若有錢人大力捐獻慈善事業，那怎會是壞？就算口中痛恨有錢人，心底都可能暗暗希望有朝一日自己會發達。
他認為，誠實賺來又用得其所，賺很多錢沒有什麼問題。問題反而是社會上很多人把擁有財富等同成功。
若問真正的成功是什麼，Hal Urban有他的一套看法︰
Success is more than making money. To overemphasize its importance is to cheat ourselves out of the other things that make life so much more interesting, meaningful, and rewarding.
他不反對把賺到錢視為成功的一種，但關鍵是overemphasize(過分注重)。若生命只顧向金錢看，便會失掉很多interesting(有趣)、meaningful(有意義)和rewarding(豐盛生命)的東西。
成功必備條件
他認為，稱得上“成功人士”有很多條件。包括：
Successful people; accept life as it is, with all its difficulties and challenges(挑戰). They adapt(適應) to it rather than complain about it. They accept responsibility for their own lives instead of blaming or making excuses.
Successful people develop and maintain a positive(正面的、積極的) attitude toward life. They look for good in others and in the world, and usually seem to find it. They see life as a series of opportunities and possibilities, and always explore them.
Successful people are action-oriented(坐言起行的). They get things done because they're not afraid of hard work, and they don't waste time. They use it in constructive(建設性的) ways. They don't get into ruts(因循) or become bored because they are too busy looking for new experiences.
文︰子慧
