What is success?

In one of my favorite quotes of all time, Ralph Waldo Emerson gives one of the best definitions of ‘success’ I’ve ever read.

What is 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.

Every time I read this, I feel inspired to put the most important things first.