Fancy job title. Big paycheck. To own a nice car and big house. Extravagant lifestyle. That's what pops in my head when I think of success.
But when I think about it, none of the above mean that much to me. Especially when I'm 70 and chilling in a retirement home. It's weird how many of us yearn and work so hard to become "successful", yet do not have a clear definition of what that entails for each of us.
I'm not sure what success means to me yet. But for the mean time, I'd like to think it's similar to Ralph Waldo Emerson's take on 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
