What Does Success Mean To You? Here is Ralph Waldo Emerson's Take

If someone asked me what success was, I really couldn’t tell them.

Fancy job title. Big paycheck. Nice car and big house. To be famous with an extravagant lifestyle? That’s what pops in my head when I hear the word ‘success’.

But when I think about it, none of the above mean that much to me. Especially when I’m retired and looking back on my life.

Is success all about what we own now?

It’s weird how many of us work and sacrifice so much to become successful, yet don’t have a clear idea of what that entails for each of us.

Instead of blindly trying to live up to these expectations, we should stop and ask ourselves:

• Why are we doing this right now?
• Will this truly make us successful?
• Does this make us happy?
• What do we want to accomplish?

I’m not sure what success means to me yet. But for the mean time, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s take on success sounds pretty good to me.

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