“Whoever uplifts civilization is rich though he die penniless, and future generations will erect his monument.”—Orison Swett Marden
When I need inspiration, I like to go to the writings of Orison Swett Marden (founder of SUCCESS magazine). He always has some great pearls of wisdom. The above quote recently caught my eye.
We often get the idea that our success is measured in the material things—money, cars, homes, etc. We think celebrity is success. Such success is fleeting. Real success is measured in the people one affects.
As leaders, we want to believe that success is measured in the short term (as coaches, in our win record; as teachers, in student grades; etc.) Success is best measured years from now. As coaches and teachers, what kind of person will of athletes and students be? Joe Ehrmann (InSideOut Coaching) calls this “transformational” leadership.
If we desire to be successful, we must first aspire to uplift others. Unless it “uplifts civilization”, fame and fortune are meaningless. Rarely anyone is remembered for his or her bank account. There are no statues erected that read: “…Billionaire who spent it all on himself”.
I am a Pittsburgher (even though I haven’t lived there for over 20 years). So, of course, I am aware of Andrew Carnegie. Here is a man who knew what to do with his wealth. He determined to leave little to offspring. Rather, he believed wealth was to be spent in one’s lifetime on that which will have a lasting impact on the community. Hence, the name “Carnegie” is associated with libraries, museums, etc. Generations continue to benefit from his success.
Let it be our mission to be (extra)ordinary and have an astounding impact of the lives we touch. This is SUCCESS.
Carpe momento!