Successful is the person who has lived well, laughed often and loved much, who has gained the respect of children, who leaves the world better than they found it, who has never lacked appreciation for the earth's beauty, who never fails to look for the best in others or give the best of themselves - Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Emerson's words have guided and inspired me for as long as I can remember. And his definition of success - putting aside the hyperbolic use of the word "never" - stands with the best I've yet encountered. How do Emerson's measures of that elusive word match or differ from yours?
Though Ralph's formulation still resonates with me, it also seems that the deeper I travel into Act Three, the more my reflections about success intensify. How about you? When did you most recently take time to consider what a well-lived life looks like? I know after almost twelve full years of blogging to expect little in the way of response from readers unless I go first. But this time I'll be really disappointed if no one else follows suit. Please.
A few months into my 74th year I'm measuring my success by ...
The strength and durability of my relationships.
The satisfaction I derive from creative efforts.
My commitment to the active pursuit of social justice.
This topic has been on my mind for months. And months. In fact hasn’t left my brain for more than an hour lately. Not having children and now virtually no family, my.personal definition for a successful life is simply to bring a little happiness to the people in my life and orbit (e.g., buying a stranger a meal or giving her money just to make her Thursday a little better or less stressful). My “success” bar has been lowered and that’s not a bad thing. No need for The Grand Gesture to mean something…. A little kindness sprinkled around each day is my new definition of success.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous; Looks like I struck a chord for you with this post. I saw a child with a t-shirt not long ago that read "Kindness Above All". I was so moved I went out of my way to engage the mother in a brief conversation about that t-shirt. Seems to me you've landed on a lasting definition of success by using kindness as your measure. And you can see below that another reader agrees.
DeleteFor me success comes in the form of my legacy… Joe and Sean
ReplyDeleteKelly; Two comments on my blog in under one month; I've hit the jackpot! That's a solid legacy you've identified, although it is possible I'm a bit biased in this instance.
DeleteI agree with Anonymous about kindness. And my relationships.Add to that - for me - sharing the the Joy of Movement in my Nia classes is a source of great satisfaction to me. Continual learning and engagement. Giving back (I belong to five non-profits). I love the quotation. It is a much better definition of success than what I have often seen. Yesterday I finished reading Outliers - The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. I found it interesting but the heartfelt definitions of success above really resonate with me.
ReplyDeleteInes; Thanks for the comment, outlining your measures of success (I especially like the "giving back" part) and your support of the anonymous comment above. Glad that Emerson quote spoke to you; it's one of my favorites by my favorite American philosopher.
DeleteTo raise happy, healthy, well-adjusted, kind children.
ReplyDeleteTo leave the world a little better than when I entered it. I love my job because it affords me the opportunity to inspire and shape youth; to give them hope and help (encourage) them to discover their purpose and passions.
To pursue challenges and enjoy them :)
Anonymous #2; Thanks for the comment. In my view, you've landed on some valuable measures for success.
DeleteGood afternoon, Pat and thanks for a very thought provoking post. For me I believe I first thought about a well lived life was when my children were born. Not sure where I heard this first, and, as always, I'm paraphrasing, but a parent wants to leave a world for their children that is better than what they had. I began to think about it more when my children had children of their own. And as I've now retired and well into my 60's, I think about it a little differently than when I first did. Relationships, of course, are high on the list. Happiness as well. But more than just feeling or being happy. Being able to laugh. Laugh loud, laugh long. And, doing what I can - small part or big - in trying to change the current atmosphere that we find ourselves living in.
ReplyDeleteBe well,
Bob
Bob; Thanks for the comment. Like others above, seems to me you've landed on a few solid measures for the well-lived life aka what "success" means really is vs. conventional wisdom that frequently points us toward money, stuff, fame and the like.
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