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More Thoughts on Success
August 5th, 2008 by StephenPosted in Follow Your Dream, Inspiration, Links |
Welcome back! It's good to see you again. Please note that I am now publishing all new material at my hub site: In Context Blog
I was reminded of this today, as I was reviewing my Twitter stuff:
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.
— inaccurately attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson
I believe that (no matter the source) it is a beautiful way of looking at life.
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August 6th, 2008 at 2:35 am
Emerson is inspiring. This quote in particular.
It reminds me of a quote that I haven’t looked at in 20 years by Chekhov in a letter to his brother, quoted in Brenda Ueland’s book If You Want to Write. I found this piece of it on the web, but can’t find the whole thing.
“…Educated people in my opinion must satisfy the following conditions:
1. They respect a man’s personality, and therefore are always tolerant, gentle, polite, yielding…
2. They are compassionate…
3. They respect other people’s property and therefore they pay their debts.
4. They are pure in heart and fear a lie as they fear fire. They do not lie, even in trifles. … They do not show off; they behave in public just as they behave at home; they do not throw dust in the eyes of humbler people, and they do not make up soul-to-soul conversations when they are not asked. Out of respect for other people’s ears they are often silent.
5. They do not belittle themselves to arouse the compassion of others…
6. They are not vain-glorious. They do not care about such false diamonds as acquaintanceship with celebrities, shaking hands with the….Doing a farthing’s worth, they do not walk about with their brief cases as if they had done a hundred roubles’ worth, and do not boast of having been admitted where others are not admitted.”
August 6th, 2008 at 2:37 am
Oops. I missed that this was incorrectly attributed to him. Still beautiful, and I’ll stand by finding him inspiring.
August 6th, 2008 at 5:38 am
Thanks for your comment Michael, that is a beautiful quote. I may refer to that on my new project starting next week.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Is that project something you’re posting here? I’d love to have a look.
I find that one beautiful too and hadn’t thought of it in ages, so I’m grateful to you for triggering that association. Hope it does mesh nicely with what you’re working on.