This is Success

"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

If you were to ask someone what would make them happiest in life, a large majority would most likely give answers like: "Spending more time with my kids", "Having more free time to go out with friends", "Getting the garden looking like I've always dreamed it would", "Going out to camp, or fish, or travel". These are the things that make our body, mind, and soul feel complete.

Strangely enough, the same people who gave these answers are the same ones that are working 24-7 to get the bigger house, more expensive car, and the bigger title. Which means they don't have the time for their kids, friends, garden, camping, fishing, or traveling.

If you find that you too are stuck in this self-deceiving cycle, write down the things that would truly make you happy and post them someplace that you will see them constantly as a daily reminder to what really counts in your life. Start living true to your inner guidance for happiness.

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This is can be a tough one. As I grew up in a large family, material "things" were not usually used as signs of success. There were not many "things" to go around. But I did have the fortune to have parents that valued nature and saw the importance of getting a nature retreat for the whole family to get away to every spring all the way to the last leaf dropping in the fall, and even sometimes during some wonderfully white winters. Yeah, I might not have gone away to Florida or the Caribbean like some of my friends did during March break, but I would never want to give back my cottage memories for a couple of trips to sunny places.

But strangely enough, it still must have affected me to some level of my being, because we certainly have done Florida with my kids many, many more times that I would have ever imagined doing as a child myself. This being said I feel that I sometimes work far too much and too hard to get these "things" and as a price I don't get to spend as much time with my kids.

It all comes down to balance. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with getting a bigger house, or more expensive car, or a bigger title if you are not sacrificing the things that matter most to you in your life. If you can enjoy life to it's fullest and get all the material toys and goodies that you want at the same time, all the power to you. Just don't get lost on the way.