Suviving Success: How ticking life's boxes will get you want you want, but not what you need

by Tim Wise

In a world where success is often measured by a checklist of achievements, Tim Wise offers a radically different perspective in his thought-provoking book, Surviving Success. This compelling narrative invites readers to explore what lies beyond the conventional metrics of success, questioning the true essence of fulfilment and happiness.

Tim Wise’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of self-awareness and introspection. Drawing from his own experiences—from his struggles with severe acne to the profound teachings at the feet of his spiritual master, ShantiMayi—Tim illustrates how overcoming societal expectations can lead to a more meaningful life.

Surviving Success delves deep into the concept of ‘boxes’—the societal norms and personal milestones many of us strive to check off in our pursuit of a good life. Yet, Tim challenges readers to look beyond these confines and reconsider what makes life truly rewarding. Through his “AMPED Stillness” model, he introduces a paradigm where achievement and contentment coexist, encouraging a life of both action and inner peace.

This book is not just about rejecting societal norms but about embracing a journey towards self-realization. It is a guide for those who feel the stirrings of discontent within the ‘good life’ and yearn for something more profound. With wisdom and empathy, Tim Wise offers a pathway to understanding that true success comes from aligning with our deepest truths and engaging with the world in a more mindful, purposeful way.

98 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 10, 2024

About the author

Tim Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and activists in the U.S., and has been called the foremost white anti-racist intellectual in the nation, having spoken in 46 states, and on over 300 college campuses, including Harvard, Stanford, Cal Tech and the Law Schools at Yale, Columbia, Michigan, and Vanderbilt.

From 1999 to 2003, Wise served as an advisor to the Fisk University Race Relations Institute and in the early 90s was Associate Director of the Louisiana Coalition Against Racism and Nazism: the group credited by many with the political defeat of white nationalist, David Duke. His anti-racism efforts have been termed revolutionary by NYU professor and award-winning author, Robin D.G. Kelley, and have also earned praise from such noted race scholars as Michael Eric Dyson, Kimberl Crenshaw, Derrick Bell, Joe Feagin, Lani Guinier, and Richard Delgado.

Tim Wise is now the Director of the newly-formed Association for White Anti-Racist Education (AWARE) in Nashville, Tennessee. He lectures across the country about the need to combat institutional racism, gender bias, and the growing gap between rich and poor in the U.S. Wise has been called a "leftist extremist" by David Duke, "deceptively Aryan-looking" by a member of the Ku Klux Klan, and "the Uncle Tom of the white race," by right-wing author, Dinesh D' Souza. Whatever else can be said about him, his ability to make the right kind of enemies seems unquestioned.

Wise is a featured columnist with the ZNet Commentary program: a web service that disseminates essays by prominent progressive and radical activists and educators. His writings are taught at hundreds of colleges and have appeared in dozens of popular and professional journals. Wise serves as the Race and Ethnicity Editor for LIP Magazine, and articles about his work have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and San Francisco Chronicle.

He has contributed to three recent anthologiesWhen Race Becomes Real: Black and White Writers Confront Their Personal Histories (Chicago Review Press, Jan 2004); Should America Pay (HarperAmistad, 2003), a compilation of essays concerning slavery and its aftermath; and The Power of Non-Violence (Beacon Press, 2002)."