This little bookmark is one of my prized possessions. It's at least 18 or 19 years old. If any piece of writing, aside from my own or a Christian piece, could express what means the most to me in this world. This piece by Ralph Waldo Emerson comes pretty close to hitting the nail on the head.

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