Success And Stress
by Catherine Pulsifer
Does success create stress or relieve stress?
There are times when the success we try and achieve creates unneccessary
stress for us. We all have different definitions of success. And, at times, we are
caught up with competition that is not healthy.
The Webster's Dictionary defines "success" as follows:
"accomplishment, achievement (a person or thing which succeeds)"
Does success mean having money? Or, is it possessions? Or, is it job title? What does it
mean to succeed?
It is a question that haunts many. Many people, don't set any goals for themselves
and succeed at very little. Others, set goals that are unrealistic and then are
let down when not achieved.
Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem is the best defiintion of success that I have found.
If we were all to succeed according to the poem, the world would be a better
place to live. And, there would be less stress felt!
An Inspirational Poem
SUCCESS
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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.