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