To Have Succeeded

(By Ralph Waldo Emerson)
To laugh often and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection 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 palyed 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.