--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Early in my career, during my first few…" description: "\"“Early in my career, during my first few years at Oracle, I defined my success by making money and achieving power. By my early thirties, however, I re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/marc-benioff-5986_happiness_early-in-my-career-during-my-first-few-y_3046682.jpg" --- # Early in my career, during my first few years at Oracle, I… ![“Early in my career, during my first few years at Oracle, I defined my success by making money and achieving power. By my early thirties, however, I realized that these superficial achievements did not provide real meaning or true happiness. Despite a list of impressive titles and a pile of…” quote by Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/marc-benioff-5986_happiness_early-in-my-career-during-my-first-few-y_3046682.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/marc-benioff-5986_happiness_early-in-my-career-during-my-first-few-y_3046682.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/marc-benioff-5986_happiness_early-in-my-career-during-my-first-few-y_3046682.jpg) > ““Early in my career, during my first few years at Oracle, I defined my success by making money and achieving power. By my early thirties, however, I realized that these superficial achievements did not provide real meaning or true happiness. Despite a list of impressive titles and a pile of material possessions, I felt that something was missing, and began to consider my place in the world and how I could make a difference.”” [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early focus on wealth and status left a void, prompting a search for purpose beyond material success. **In simple terms:** Money and power felt empty. Key Takeaway Seek meaning beyond material achievements. Themes purpose fulfillment values Mood thoughtful motivational Type professional philosophical When to use this quote - executive leadership - personal development - philanthropy - career transition Key Concepts existential psychology career development Questions to Reflect On - What deeper purpose drives you? - How can you align work with personal values? A Different Perspective Material success alone rarely yields lasting satisfaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achieving Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieving-power-5048302/) [Defined Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defined-success-953790/) [Early Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-career/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Making money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-money/) [Material possessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/material-possessions/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-making-328418/) [Superficial Achievements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superficial-achievements-5048301/) [True happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-happiness/) ## Related quotes > [“Success is not defined by the degrees you earn or the promotions you get. But it is defined by what you do after that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayur-ramgir/success-is-not-defined-by-the-degrees-you-earn-or-the-promotions-you/) [Mayur Ramgir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayur-ramgir/) > [I decided a very long time ago that I would refuse to be defined by trauma and would only be defined by success, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rege-jean-page/i-decided-a-very-long-time-ago-that-i-would-refuse-to-be-defined-by/) [Rege-Jean Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rege-jean-page/) > [Feminism now seems to be defined as success is defined: as being as good at capitalism as men are. I feel very estranged from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessa-crispin/feminism-now-seems-to-be-defined-as-success-is-defined-as-being-as/) [Jessa Crispin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessa-crispin/) > [You are unfortunately most of the time defined by your success, when your success is not a major part of your personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-orzabal/you-are-unfortunately-most-of-the-time-defined-by-your-success-when/) [Roland Orzabal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-orzabal/) > [“Tony stood up and began pacing the room. “Jack,” he confessed, “my life that I defined as a success is actually a total shambles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young-2/tony-stood-up-and-began-pacing-the-room-jack-he-confessed-my-life/) [William P Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young-2/) > [The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-secret-of-success-is-making-your-vocation-your-vacation/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Real success is making art your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-walkingstick/real-success-is-making-art-your-whole-life/) [Kay WalkingStick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-walkingstick/) > [I've realised that if I aim for a successful record, I probably won't have any success. But if I keep making weird things, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diplo/i-ve-realised-that-if-i-aim-for-a-successful-record-i-probably-won-t/) [Diplo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diplo/) > [What's success anyway? Is success about making the most money? No, money for the most part turns people into jerks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/what-s-success-anyway-is-success-about-making-the-most-money-no-money/) [Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/) > [“Success is making those who believed in you look brilliant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharmesh-shah/success-is-making-those-who-believed-in-you-look-brilliant/) [Dharmesh Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharmesh-shah/) > [“There are no absolute rules when it comes to success. It is not a case of you either are one or you are not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-w-lord/there-are-no-absolute-rules-when-it-comes-to-success-it-is-not-a-case/) [J. W. Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-w-lord/) > [It's not a testosterone-driven industry any longer. Success is making money, not in the size of the airline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-bethune/it-s-not-a-testosterone-driven-industry-any-longer-success-is-making/) [Gordon Bethune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-bethune/) > [Success is making a positive difference to other people, especially seeing others grow, succeed and thrive as a result of your own small contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azran-osman-rani/success-is-making-a-positive-difference-to-other-people-especially/) [Azran Osman Rani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azran-osman-rani/) > [To me, success is making a positive difference through art - making art that affects the world and that changes the way people feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-me-success-is-making-a-positive-difference-through-art-making-art/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The key to happiness is having dreams; the key to success is making them come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/the-key-to-happiness-is-having-dreams-the-key-to-success-is-making/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) ## More by Marc Benioff > [I think everybody understands how important the cloud is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/i-think-everybody-understands-how-important-the-cloud-is/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [A lot was happening in A.I. But I also realized it wasn't clear what Salesforce's role in A.I. was. That's when we started acquiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/a-lot-was-happening-in-a-i-but-i-also-realized-it-wasn-t-clear-what/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [Businesses cannot be extricated or disintermediated from the communities they serve. Businesses who do that will do that at their own peril. They will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/businesses-cannot-be-extricated-or-disintermediated-from-the/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [As we talk about devices, you should never forget that behind every one there is a person - a customer. 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That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/technology-s-always-taken-jobs-out-of-the-system-and-what-you-hope-is/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [If someone asks me what cloud computing is, I try not to get bogged down with definitions. I tell them that, simply put, cloud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/if-someone-asks-me-what-cloud-computing-is-i-try-not-to-get-bogged/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [I've worked with a variety of presidents over the years on both sides of the aisle and congressmen and senators, so I'm not into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/i-ve-worked-with-a-variety-of-presidents-over-the-years-on-both-sides/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [When I get something in my head, it's hard for me to just let it go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/when-i-get-something-in-my-head-it-s-hard-for-me-to-just-let-it-go/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [Don't forget to do something for other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/don-t-forget-to-do-something-for-other-people/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [You need to get to the future, ahead of your customers, and be ready to greet them when they arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/you-need-to-get-to-the-future-ahead-of-your-customers-and-be-ready-to/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [Most of all, I discovered that in order to succeed with a product, you must truly get to know your customers and build something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/most-of-all-i-discovered-that-in-order-to-succeed-with-a-product-you/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [Mult-Tenancyi is really the future of our industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/mult-tenancyi-is-really-the-future-of-our-industry/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) [Explore all 100 Marc Benioff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Early in my career, during my first few years at Oracle, I defined my success by making money and achieving power. 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