Today I attended the memorial service of a family member who made and lost millions… a few times. He was a brilliant mathematician and applied his divergent thinking of patterns to investment opportunities.

He was also provocative in conversations and widely read, meaning he always had input around the dinner table. On top of his achievements, he was very dedicated to his wife and spent his last days making sure she would be well taken care of without any hassle.

You won’t read about him in Forbes magazine, hear about him on a talk show or see him in a newspaper. 

And yet, he is the typical success story.

The association between success and high-profile (media famous as it would be) is the goal we are given to strive for in our own ambition. To be successful does not require celebrity status and attempting to pursue both masters is akin to playing the lottery.

What isn’t considered with a high-profile status is the constant attention towards every detail of your life. Being scrutinized for your looks, fashion and every step you take while having it splayed for the world to see as they gossip about you seems like a depressing reality.

I’m not even going to delve into the leeches coming out of the woodwork to use you.

Many successful stories go unnoticed and those are the ones we probably envy the most.