August 28, 2004
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.
(Thanks to a couple of people I met this week in training for a new job.) The quote is from either Bessie Stanley or Ralph Waldo Emerson (see an Emerson site)