The Poem

The definition of success—

To laugh much;

 to win respect of intelligent persons and the affections 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 one’s self;

to leave the world a little 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

The Old Way

When I first read this poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson, I had had colon cancer removed but lost a child in the process.  I was feeling that the universe had punished me for something but wasn’t sure what.  All my life I had tried to be decent and honest.  Any project that made the world a better place, I took on and did it without complaining or thought of reward but simply because it was the right thing to do – making the world a better place.

Yet here I was, with a wounded belly from the operation and a wounded heart from the loss of a most loved and wanted child.  I sat, drinking bottles of wine in the evening, wondering what the universe wanted of me.  Had I not done enough?  Why did others, who I felt did more harm than good, get rewarded for their evil and selfishness and I was being punished.  Clearly I was a failure.  The ideals that I had placed at the core of my being seemed not to be valued by the universe.  The Gods had abandoned me and left me hanging without purpose.

The Gift

Then I received a box, a gift.  I don’t remember what was in it, but there was a poem on the outside of it.  The poem changed my mindset.

It was this poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  It spelled out, clearly and succinctly, exactly what I thought success was.  In truth, it kinda freaked me out because it mirrored events in my life but it also put them in clear perspective.

The more I read of his works, the more I realized that he was channeling everything that I believed.  Now, I had a direction.  I didn’t need to rely on the universe or even the Gods for direction. I could stop looking for approval in all the wrong places.  I’d set my own course, just like Emerson.  I was on the right path for me.

Going Forward

So now this poem is my  guideline. One that doesn’t rely on huge accomplishments but little, everyday things that make the world a better place.

In order to reach the top of a mountain, you need to put one foot in front of the other.  Half way up and looking back, you may feel you haven’t come very far at all yet when you arrive at the top, you realize, you’ve reached the top of the world.

So for my next 50 years, I’m going to stop looking at where I’ve been and start looking towards the top of the mountain.