“What Constitutes Success”
By Bessie Stanley (1905)
By Bessie Stanley (1905)
He has achieved success who has lived well,
laughed often and loved much;
who has gained the respect of intelligent men
and the love of little children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he found it,
whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
who has never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty
or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others
and given them the best he had;
whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory a benediction.
laughed often and loved much;
who has gained the respect of intelligent men
and the love of little children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he found it,
whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
who has never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty
or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others
and given them the best he had;
whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory a benediction.
Ran across this poem today, and thought I'd share it, despite it not being doll-related. It seems like a pretty good definition of success, though I admit to the impulse to go through and change all the "He" and "men" to a gender neutral term. ;)
It's lovely and don't worry, we appreciate what is meant by the 'he' and 'men' meaning 'mankind' and actually 'gender'.....
ReplyDeleteIt's thought provoking too :)
Big hugs Sharon xx
I like its focus on the smaller things... :)
DeleteI'm with you on the changing of the use of the masculine, my fingers are already twitching.
ReplyDeleteThat aside, that is quite a good poem. I like how it measures success in the things you do rather than in the material. Thanks for sharing!
I'm glad you like it too! :)
DeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it too. :)
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