To have truly succeeded

I really dislike when Emerson is misquoted (it is almost always the case) - and I haven't done my research to see if this is a misquote (taken completely out of context) - but that doesn't exactly matter. This is a beautiful thought -- one I hold onto, sometimes forget, but strive to live by:

People may forget what you said, people may forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. 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!



~Ralph Waldo Emerson