I first found this piece at the front of a book I was reading and it made a great impression on me, although I can't now remember which book it was that I got it from. I typed the piece out and stuck it on the wall of the school library I ran until earlier this year, where several other people saw it and asked for a copy. What I think makes it so interesting is that at no point does it equate success with money.
Success
To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Gandhi famously said, "My life is my message". I am working towards making my message this kind of success.
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