Why do we consider someone “good”, “intelligent,” or even “successful” simply because they performed well in school? It’s strange when you think about it.
School and college occupy the first 15 to 20 years of our lives — barely 20–25% of an average lifespan — yet for many, that brief window becomes a label that follows them into adulthood, work, relationships, and even self-worth.
But the truth is simple: life doesn’t unfold in one straight line; it comes in seasons.
We still have the next ten years to bloom, or the ten after that, or the ten that follow, and then — perhaps most profoundly — the last ten. Each stage demands a different kind of wisdom, something that never appears on a school transcript.
Maybe I made the mistake of clubbing too many superlatives together — good, intelligent, successful. They’re not the same thing. So let’s untangle them.
Intelligence cannot be restricted to a report card — it will surface every time it finds a suitable situation. Exams test memory, discipline, and pattern recognition, whereas life asks for emotional intelligence, intuition, social skill, resilience, imagination, and the ability to recover after falling flat.
Success is equally subjective.
For some, it is the number of people they inspire — whether as a teacher, founder, or artist.
For others, it is power — the ability to influence, lead, or shape outcomes.
For many, it is wealth — the freedom to live life on their own terms.
And sometimes, success is simply the ability to exist within an extended family in harmony.
It’s true: those who perform well early in life often build momentum. Good grades open doors, and once momentum gathers, it can carry you far. But there’s a hidden trap — the comfort zone becomes a cage.
So the long and short of it is this: don’t get worked up.
Life has no universal yardstick — because there isn’t one.
Define your own success. Shape it, refine it, evolve it as you go.
And remember: a report card was never meant to measure your entire life — only a small, temporary chapter of it.
