What is Success?
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and
the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure
the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one’s self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and
sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you
have lived –
This is to have succeeded.
I remember having such a dysfunctional relationship with success when I was younger. It was so unhealthy that it led to destructive relationships, cocaine addiction and several suicide attempts before I was 25. I remember reading this Emerson poem and crying because everything he wrote about felt like it was so far away I needed a passport to get there.
Success wasn’t far from me at all, but it wasn’t until I learned the difference between appearing successful and being successful that my life got better. My hope for today is that you find the difference for yourself.
Never forget that I love you, and that excludes no one.
Love,
