What is Success?

Let me share something with you. Success, as we often see it, is a strange thing. Many think it lives in big houses or rides in shiny cars. But I have walked this earth long enough to know that real success does not sit in a bank account or wear a fine suit. It is not in the weight of your possessions.

No, my friend, success is something else. It is measured by the value you bring into this world. It is in the lives you touch, in the good you leave behind. When I look back on my journey, I do not ask, “How much did I make?” Instead, I ask, “What difference did I make?”

I have worn many hats in this life. I have worked hard for little. I have earned much for little effort. Yet, the question remains the same—have I given more than I received? Have I volunteered my time, my strength, my wisdom, to make this world better than I found it?

In my quiet moments, I remember those who found joy in serving without looking for reward. The teacher who molded minds with a smile, though his pockets were empty. The pastor who offered guidance, though his clothes were worn. The writer, the singer, the soldier, the ones who pursued their calling, not for gold, but for the satisfaction of a purpose fulfilled.

When I meet such people, I do not see their poverty, I see their wealth. The wealth that does not show in coins but in hearts touched, in lives changed. When you see them too, offer a smile—one that lingers, one that understands. For they have learned what many do not. They have learned that a man who has found his purpose has found his treasure.

So I say this to you: Never place a man’s net-worth above his self-worth. For the sun will shine on those who stand before it, not those who hide behind false riches. The man who plants seeds of kindness, who gives without counting, he is the one whose legacy will grow tall long after he is gone.

It is the value we give, not the wealth we hold, that defines who we truly are.