“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much.” – Bessie Anderson Stanley
“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“What do you care what other people think?” – Richard Feynman
Your life isn’t a race or a competition. Don’t spend your time comparing yourself to others. Your happiness and success don’t have to look like anyone else’s. And remember, don’t ever try to bring others down or cause them pain. Focus on your own growth and the good you can do for the people around you.
I’ve learned that you need to build self-reliance—things like discipline, responsibility, and confidence. Self-reliance will help you live true to yourself and know which experiences make you feel alive. Don’t weigh yourself down trying to please others, whether it’s your family, your peers, or those who came before you. Working just for approval can pull you away from the work you’re meant to do. Don’t let it be the reason you start or quit something.
Remember that seeking praise is a trap. Blaise Pascal once wrote:
“If you care too much about being praised, in the end you will not accomplish anything serious… We are not satisfied with our real life. We want to live an imaginary life, a life in which we seem different in the eyes of other people than we are in reality.”
I believe life is about being fully there for your own journey, through all the peaks and valleys. Joseph Campbell said that when we look for “meaning,” what we’re actually looking for are the experiences that make us feel alive. In his words:
“It’s internal, personal, and spiritual—thinking outside oneself and living in a way that is true to our deepest callings.”
This all ties into what Viktor Frankl taught us from his experience as a Holocaust survivor: We always have the power to decide what our experiences mean.
These lessons point us in the same direction. They’re about knowing yourself deep down. It takes discipline to be thoughtful about the journey you want to take—not for the praise, but for the life that makes you feel alive.
Be patient. Stay open to trying new things. Give the world a chance, and give yourself time.