December 5, 2014 (Friday)
Inspirational quotations bless us all. Sometimes, however, it is hard to know just who said what. For instance, the following description of “success” has been attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, but probably was written in 1904 by Bessie Anderson Stanley:
“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.
As you might guess, the paragraph has been quoted with many variations, so that versions of it hardly resemble each other.
It is, nonetheless, an excellent quotation worthy of sharing with others.
While we’re on the subject, what is “success” anyway? I suppose it depends on many variable factors. What you might consider “success” may not be “success” at all in God’s eyes. Worldly success is not the same as spiritual success.
Do we want success with the world or with God? Do we long for the praise of human beings or the praise of God?
An old quotation from a sportswriter from the past can be applied to all of us:
“For when the One Great Scorer comes
To mark against your name,
He writes – not that you won or lost –
But how you played the Game.”(from the poem “Alumnus Football”)
Henry Grantland Rice (November 1, 1880 – July 13, 1954)
We need to play the game of life God’s way. That’s success.