A paper by Kim as a student at Punahou, circa 2000.

KimHuynh COMM10 Reynolds

What is Success?

 To be a successful man or woman in America today means many different things. For many people, success encompasses financial security, power, respect, recognition and a stable family life as well. Personally, I believe that a successful person is someone who is happy and satisfied with the way he or she is living his or her life. I would consider a janitor who is content with his place in the world to be more successful than a rich movie star still searching for satisfaction is. If money cannot buy happiness, it certainly cannot buy success. our family, I grew up with the teachings of the Buddha who tells us that life is filled with suffering, and that the root of our suffering is desire. We are happy when one of our desires is fulfilled, but that happiness is fleeting. When one's want is satisfied, we always find a way to replace it with another. I myself have been guilty of this many times. I went through a rough period after 8th grade when my little clique broke up and we all went our separate ways. I remember crying and telling myself that once I found a new group of friends, everything would be fine. Eventually I did, but still happiness eluded me. "When I have a boyfriend," I said, "THEN I'll be happy." While waiting for Mr. Right to come along, I received one of those cheesy e-mails that is supposed to teach some valuable life lesson, and I actually did learn something very valuable: we cannot put our happiness on hold-the time to be happy is NOW. We miss life if we spend our time waiting for it to happen. We cannot choose what happens in life, but we can choose how we will react to it, and choose to be happy with it.