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| Max Schmitt in a Single Scull (1871) by Thomas Eakins |
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
“To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent
persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest
citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to
find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit
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.”
—Misattributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson
Original source is Bessie A. Stanley in Heart Throbs, ed. Joseph Mitchell Chapple, Volume II (1911), pages 1-2.
—“Success,” Images of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Success is the attainment of your goals, which are defined by your
needs and wants, which in turn are influenced by your values. The writer in
this paragraph reveals what he values, what his needs and wants are.
Society greatly influences our values, wants, and to some extent our
needs—as a result society also defines our goals and tells us what to do,
setting forth social expectations and defining the meaning of success.
I believe we have to carefully define success for ourselves and not
succumb to social expectations that do not correspond to our own very personal
vision. It takes a strong mind and heart to be true to our own values, that is,
to live with integrity.
Defining the values we live by is also a major undertaking that is of
no small import and significance. We should live by values that demonstrate
moral goodness—otherwise, existence is not merely pointless but nihilistic.
Public domain image
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Gonzalinho
SET YOUR GOALS AND MAKE THEM HAPPEN
ReplyDeleteHaving goals for things we want to do and working towards them is an important part of being human. The path towards our goals may not always run smoothly or be easy, but having goals, whether big or small, is part of what makes life good. It gives us a sense of meaning and purpose, points us in the direction we want to go and gets us interested and engaged, all of which are good for our overall happiness.
Over 2000 years ago, Aristotle said “Well begun is half done.” And with regards to goals, he's right (as he seems to have been on a lot of things). Paying attention to how we set our goals makes us more like to achieve them and achieving them makes us feel good about ourselves and our lives.
https://actionforhappiness.org/take-action/set-your-goals-and-make-them-happen
—“Set your goals and make them happen,” Action for Happiness
Gonzalinho
Happiness is setting worthy, attainable goals and achieving them.
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