Emerson Poem
I recently discovered this poem when I was doing some de-cluttering on the Labor Day weekend. It reminds me of what is really important in life and enables me to refocus my priorities. It inspires and grounds me; I hope you find it inspiring too.
Success
To laugh often and much; to win the respect
of intelligent persons and the affection of children;
to earn the approbation of honest citizens 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
