Success
--- probably inaccurately attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson
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 false 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.
Last week, I started on the subject of what success means as in relation to the above quotation. I'd like to pick up where I left off in the attributes of a life that will in my opinion, produce success.
Hmmm, to leave the world a little bit better. That seems like a huge task, but without sounding too cynical, it doesn't take much effort to improve on the world's current condition. I have always been a believer that if we kindly touch the world that we encounter each day, the world will be changed a few people at a time.
Giving the world a healthy child is definitely an investment in our future. I had read the other day that pain, especially the pain of hunger can be one of the largest obstacles to a child concentrating well enough to learn. We pay our taxes, we give where we can, but do we really help out of our abundance that we are all given? Here's a challenge for you - the next time you are in the grocery store, home goods store, etc., estimate what you will be spending on yourself and spend 10% more on non-perishables or household goods and determine a local family or charity that can use them. Most of us will never miss the $10 - $20 that it will cost, but the investment can change many lives.
How many of us still know how to plant things and make them grow? The garden patch, with flowers and/or vegetables can teach you much about life and the intricacies of dependence on things that are out of your control. The rain, the temperature, disease, pests, the amount of sunlight all are a part of the success of your garden, but you have no control over them. Gardening teaches discipline to care for things that are dependent upon you. It teaches faith that if you plant a seed or seedling, it can grow into something bigger and better that what it currently is, producing fruits/flowers for our enjoyment.
We all have to ability to make the ones around us breathe easier, live more freely, and enjoy life more. I would challenge everyone (me included) to start the day seeking out someone who is in need, whether it is a physical or emotional need. As workers in healthcare, we have the rare opportunity in our careers that many people do not have - the opportunity to care for others. When we care for others, we elevate their spirits, verify their worth and we get outside ourselves and our problems that usually are small compared with the struggles others are enduring.
In summary, success is a lifestyle change. It requires the discipline and humility of reaching out to others, putting ourselves into a serving mentality, depending on things out of our control, and realizing that we can't take things too seriously. We are all in this together and serving others can be one of the most successful ventures we will ever undertake.