Getting into Forbes as a successful person is not actually that hard; you just have to be a criminal, steal a few billion, and before they figure it out, you're in Forbes. But that's not at all what I wanted to talk about. What nonsense it is to measure success by how much money and assets you have.

Money and assets, a twisted measure of success

I definitely don't want to come off with the nonsense that money doesn't matter because it does, but it's not the only measure of success. You can set almost anything as your measure of success, like a morning walk with your dog, cuddling with your cat, or even baking a bundt cake. All of these can be a form of success for you and can make you happy.

It's not without reason people say that if you want to be happy, lower your expectations, or that there's always someone with a bigger yacht in the harbor than yours. The worst part is that the accumulation of wealth and the pursuit of money is not just the domain of the rich but often even of the poorest, believe me, there's no nobility in poverty.

Set your own standards

What I strongly recommend is setting your own standards in life by which you want to measure yourself and not compare yourself to others because you really can't win that game. There can be a sea of standards, and what might surprise you is that with your own measures of success, you can easily win.

It's absolute nonsense to think that having a Ferrari and a bigger, more luxurious house will make you happier. Honestly, some of the most content and easy-going people I've met are those who exercise a lot and stay active.

Real wealth

For me, real wealth is the ability to do whatever I want, whenever I want, to have options, to have control over my own time, and to be healthy. And no, it's not going 100% all the time, but I'm not doing too badly.

I think that money is fundamentally necessary for one to have freedom, but from my point of view, money and assets are great servants but very bad masters.