Poems

“What Is Success?” by Ralph Waldo Emerson

A watercolor painting of a man sitting on a bench under a tree

Art by @awe.and.devotion

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.

 -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“What Is Success?” by Ralph Waldo Emerson

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