What is Success?

While browsing through poems for this weeks posts, I came across one about success. By definition, the word success mean ‘the accomplishment of an aim or purpose’ but for many individuals, this word can be interpreted differently and have a variety of meanings. This poem gives a perspective on the meaning of this multifaceted word. Feel free to express your thoughts by commenting. Do you feel that the poem effectively captures the idea of success?

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 critics
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!
-Ralph Waldo Emerson