Success?

Success? What is it? What do you do with it? How do you know if you reach "it"?
What if we aren't sucessful yet, but just more successful than we were and this looks like it because we have moved far off the bottom.
For 14 years I've always been able to pay the bills. Sometimes during the rough spots it wouldn't be on time, but they always got paid. To cope with those trying times I adopted the notion that due dates were merely suggestions. It was easier that way. That way if someone called me, pissy about a late payment I could say to them, "whatchu gettin' all fussy about?? It will get there soon, or soonish. It's not late, it's just not there on your suggested due date. CHILL~" Some saw my humor, others not so much~ Oh well...
These aren't times where success is a word bantered around much. I've been a bit tentative to even think much on it because I understand so many are still struggling in these current conditions. It is not lost on me that we are an exception in our industry , rather than a rule right now. It's also not lost on me that it could all change tomorrow and we'd back where we were 3 years ago.
But back to my question.....How do you define success? How do you know when you reach it? Are there levels of success 2..5..10??? Can you claim to reach "it" if you are only on level 1? Is that dopey and disengenious?
We've worked very hard. VERY HARD. We've all brought a different skill set to the equation. I don't really think we'd be anywhere near here if any one of those components were absent. We've made a good team. Not always a cohesive or happy team, but we've been a true team none the less.
I spend a lot of time on this question. I think I just need a marker of sorts to say HERE... ON THIS SPOT is success. Back there was UNSUCCESS. I need to know where that line is now. When do you cross over? I feel sorta like I'm running a race but there is no finish line. You just keep running and doing your best, but there is no where to say FINISHED... i.e.. reached success.
I think even a conceptual finish line would help me. Because once you cross the finish line you can assess your time? Did you do well? Beat your previous race? Is there potential for improvement? Did you run a good race, were you a good sport and run a fair race? There don't seem to be any markers to assess your success. One day your just wake up and declare it?
That doesn't make sense! It needs to be more tangible somehow.
I try to think of all the things that have helped make us ***that word*** and some of it is nothing but luck! There isn't an ice cubes chance in hell that we'd be this far if I had birthed normal size GIRLS!! In fact I doubt we'd even be a blip on the screen if I'd birthed girls at all. Chances aren't great they'd of been normal size anyways, but still.....