Have you ever reached a milestone like landing the perfect job, buying the dream car, earning that prestigious title only to feel… underwhelmed? Society teaches us that success leads to happiness, but why does the high of achievement fade so quickly? If external success were the answer, wouldn’t the wealthiest and most accomplished people be the happiest? 

In The Way Back to BEing by Tom Askman, the idea that success equals happiness is deeply questioned. The book explores how our cultural obsession with achievement often leaves us feeling empty. It puts us in the position of constantly striving for the next goal without ever feeling truly fulfilled. But what if everything we were taught about success was just conditioning or some training to keep us running on a never-ending treadmill of achievement? What if true joy has nothing to do with reaching a goal and everything to do with how we exist at this moment?

If you’ve ever wondered why happiness feels just out of reach, this blog will challenge you to define success on your own terms. To define it not as a destination, but as a way of BEing.

Is Success Equal to Happiness?

From childhood, we are mind-napped into believing that the key to happiness lies in external validation. Get the grades. Win the awards. Climb the ladder. But have you ever noticed how every “success” comes with a new requirement? 

• The student who tops their class must now outperform themselves. 
• The entrepreneur who makes their first million must now double it. 
• The social media star with a million followers still seeks more likes, applause, and significance. 

This isn’t a path to happiness; it’s a trap. It keeps you seeking more but never truly arriving.

In The Way Back to BEing, Tom Askman explains how this constant search for “more” is a societal illusion that keeps us in a cycle of dissatisfaction. We are conditioned to believe that happiness comes after achieving something, but in reality, happiness is only found in the present moment. If you can’t be happy now, no amount of success will change that.

From DO-ing to BEing 

If success as we know it is a lie, then what does real fulfillment look like? Consider this idea: Success isn’t about DO-ing or achieving. It’s about BEing.

Askman emphasizes that true success is about inner peace, not outer accomplishments. We often define success by what we do, but what if success was simply about being present, content, and connected to ourselves?

This shift in focus from externally defined success to inner alignment is where joy begins. Not in acquiring but in allowing. Not in chasing but in choosing presence.

Practical Ways to Shift from DO-ing to BEing

• Spend Time in Silence: True happiness is discovered in stillness, away from distractions.
• Stop Tying Your Self-Worth to Achievements: Who are you beyond your titles and accomplishments?
• Prioritize Inner Peace Over External Recognition: If something costs you your peace, is it really success? Think about it.

Why Having Less Feels Like More

Minimalism isn’t just about decluttering your home. It’s about decluttering your mind from the illusion that “more” equals happiness. Have you ever noticed how lighter you feel after letting go of something you no longer need? That’s because simplicity isn’t about deprivation. It’s about liberation. 

In The Way Back to BEing, Tom Askman explores how our attachment to “more,” more money, more possessions, more achievements often leaves us feeling empty rather than fulfilled.

What if you measured success not by what you gained, but by what you could release? The need for approval. The fear of missing out. The addiction to achievement.

The Only True Measure of Success

Imagine waking up tomorrow with no external obligations: no titles to uphold and no one to impress. Would you still feel successful? If not, who has been defining success for you all this time? 

Real success is the ability to exist in deep presence, unshaken by external circumstances. It’s found in: 

• Joy without a reason. 
• Love without conditions. 
• Purpose without pressure. 

The irony? Once you stop chasing success, you start living it. 

Ready to Step Off the Treadmill?

If the constant search for success has left you feeling unfulfilled, The Way Back to BEing by Tom Askman offers a fresh perspective on what it truly means to live with purpose and joy. Through insights and practical guidance, this book will help you break free from society’s definition of success and embrace a life rooted in presence, peace, and authenticity. It’s time to stop struggling and start BEing.

Get your copy today and redefine success on your own terms.

Conclusion

Success often leads to exhaustion rather than fulfillment. If achieving more always leaves you wanting more, perhaps the definition itself is flawed. True joy isn’t found in status, wealth, or recognition. It’s in your ability to be fully present and at peace with yourself. The next time you catch yourself chasing an external goal for happiness, pause and ask: “Am I truly living or just performing?” The real measure of success isn’t in how much you achieve but in how deeply you experience life.