Yet one more item is needed to complete success, and that is the rendering of service to others in the community. Without this the mere satisfaction of selfish desire does not reach the top notch.
To say that a man is vain means merely that he is pleased with the effect he produces on other people. A conceited man is satisfied with the effect he produces on himself.
It would be one of the greatest triumphs of humanity, one of the most tangible liberations from the constraints of nature to which mankind is subject, if we could succeed in raising the responsible act of procreating children to the level of a deliberate and intentional activity and in freeing it from its entanglement with the necessary satisfaction of a natural need.
True happiness is to understand our duties toward God and man; to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future; not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears, but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is abundantly sufficient; for he that is so wants nothing. The great blessings of mankind are with us, and within our reach; but we shut our eyes and, like people in the dark, fall foul of the very thing we search for without finding it. Tranquility is a certain equality of mind which no condition of fortune can either exalt or depress. There must be sound mind to make a happy man; there must be constancy in all conditions, a care for the things of this world but without anxiety; and such an indifference to the bounties of fortune that either with them or without them we may live content. True joy is serene. . . . The seat of it is within, and there is no cheerfulness like the resolution of a brave mind that has fortune under its feat. It is an invincible greatness of mind not to be elevated or dejected with good or ill fortune. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it be - without wishing for what he has not.
That all who are happy are equally happy is not true. A peasant and a philosopher may be equally satisfied, but not equally happy. A small drinking glass and a large one may be equally full, but the large one holds more than the small.
When once a man has made celebrity necessary to his happiness, he has put it in the power of the weakest and most timorous malignity, if not to take away his satisfaction, at least to withhold it. His enemies may indulge their pride by airy negligence and gratify their malice by quiet neutrality.
Success is recognizing where our talents, gifts and attributes come from-then always giving the Lord the credit. In this way it is possible to stay humble and successful at the same time. Success and glory (as the world understands it) is very addicting, but for someone whose satisfaction comes from doing the Lord's will, the true understanding of success is comprehended. As John Taylor so beautifully stated (July 7, 1878), "We are here as Jesus was here, not do do our own will, but the will of Him who sent us." The most successful experience in life is to find out His "will" for our individual lives and do it, Thus fulfilling the measure of our personal creation.
In building a firm foundation for Success, here are a few stones to remember: 1. The wisdom of preparation. 2. The value of confidence. 3. The worth of honesty. 4. The privilege of working. 5. The discipline of struggle. 6. The magnetism of character. 7. The radiance of health. 8. The forcefulness of simplicity. 9. The winsomeness of courtesy. 10. The attractiveness of modesty. 11. The inspiration of cleanliness. 12. The satisfaction of serving. 13. The power of suggestion. 14. The buoyancy of enthusiasm. 15. The advantage of initiative. 16. The virtue of patience. 17. The rewards of co-operation. 18. The fruitfulness of perseverance. 19. The sportsmanship of losing. 20. The joy of winning.
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