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 to 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 conditon,

To know even one life has breathed easier

Because you live,

This is to have succeeded.

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), poet and philosopher

(zomaar een vondst, Dankjewel Angèle)