To Succeed in Life

"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."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson