This is one of my favorites.
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 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
