Susan Boyle revisited.

This week, Britain's Got Talent runner-up, Susan Boyle, returned to the grind after a brief stint at an English health facility for Chappelle-esque "mental exhaustion." Apparently, the singer that charmed the world with her unexpected talent was overcome by disappointment and the pressure of public life.

Time and time again, we see celebrities melt under the spotlight. But this latest instance of a lovable-underdog-turned-media-darling retreating from view got me thinking: I wonder if Susan Boyle really wanted to be famous or if she just wanted to hear that she was good enough; that people appreciated her talent.

Maybe she just wanted us to know she had something special to contribute.

We have all seen friends and/or co-workers get great promotions or catch big breaks, only to fall apart just when it seemed that they were on the verge getting what they said they've always wanted. But is success what they really wanted? Or were they just looking for acknowledgement? I think sometimes we just want to be noticed and appreciated for our talent, hard work and achievements.

And what is success, exactly? Oxford dictionary defines success as: 1) the accomplishment of an aim or purpose and 2) the attainment of fame, wealth, or social status. Which one are you after?

Would you say that you are successful? Do you feel your special talent and hard work is acknowledged? There's nothing wrong with wanting to be successful or wanting to get accolades for your accomplishments in your field. Lord knows I have goals and as those goals are reached there may be financial reward and public acclaim. But as I write this, I'm realizing that what I truly want is to be really good at my craft and for people to know that I work hard for my goals.

So why do we covet success if it's appreciation that we really want?

Is success really success without appreciation?

I don't think success and appreciation have to be competing ideas. I think you can want one or the other or both. I think you can feel appreciated but not successful and successful but not appreciated. But I also believe that if you sing the perfect song in an empty room, it still makes a sound. True success is measured first internally. As long as you know that you are successful - you are! You and you alone, are the judge of your success. Others may acknowledge or recognize you for your achievements or not; it is in no way a reflection on you and what you have accomplished.

On the other hand - as reality TV has taught us - some people just want to be famous, and that's their measure of success. Hey, by all means, Do U! Just beware that the fame road, though sometimes paved in gold, is far from smooth and may require a pit stop for "mental exhaustion."