What is success? Is it beating down a corporate opponent or outshining another human being in the game of life? Is it to become a CEO of a mega corporation that makes huge amounts of money, yet devastates our environment? Is it being the head of a company like Boeing or Lockheed and others like them who make killing machines that destroy villages in other countries, killing men, women, children who have done us no evil?
Or is success the small farmer who feeds his family and many others from his production, even though he may hardly be able to make his mortgage payments? Or is it the writer or movie producer that makes a block-buster success in money terms, showcasing a shrewd crime or offering lots of killing? Or is it a writer or moviemaker with a worthwhile story, who may hardly recover their costs, because they do not have a block-buster budget to promote their creation, though they have made a great addition to the literary bank for all-time?
In life what is more important — a person’s success or their failures? Their failures often lead to their greatest success. Their failure may have been a bump that redirected them to a much more worthwhile activity
Looking back at my own life, my earliest ambition was to be a great rich writer, but I redirected my efforts to getting rich as a stockbroker on the advice of a rich uncle. He said, if you want to make money you go where the money is. I became what most people would have described as highly successful. From a one-man brokerage firm I grew to three offices with 40 brokers. I made big money, much more than I ever dreamed I could.
And by overexpansion or growing too fast (my fault), plus a couple of brokers who disobeyed the rules by dealing with clients outside of Washington State I “failed.” That gave the SEC the opportunity to come in and say you are operating without a SEC license and put me out of business. I lost everything.
Then gathering up my energy and determination that was about all I had left, I set out to fulfill my earlier ambition to be a writer. Since then I have completed three novels, and am working on a fourth one. I have 1400 poems in the computer with many of them published, plus many published essays. No bestsellers, but some pretty good writing that has been added to the literary bank. Yet I deem this a far greater success than stacking up a great fortune as a stockbroker if I had continued on that trail.
No, I believe the greatest successes of this world are often those who go about their lives, not necessarily out-doing their fellow citizens or building up a great stack of wealth, but those who spend their days doing the most good for others. They may be a small businessman serving their local community, or a teacher providing inspiration to young folks, or a hard-working father providing his family with life’s necessities and with love.
When evening calls, we all leave this world with nothing, but how we have lived our lives and how we stand in the hearts of others. So what is success and what is failure? Both success and failure can be stepping stones to broaden our knowledge to make us better people.
J.Glenn Evans is part Cherokee, and he started out on a small farm in the Dust Bowl. He has also worked in a lumber mill, operated a mining company and the stockbroker he writes about. He currently hosts Poets West at KSER 90.7.
My grandfather spoke
When I was young my grandfather spoke
Told me things I did not understand
We sat cross-legged and faced each other
Under a blackjack oak tree out in the field
Day was warm and sunny under blue sky
Red bird in the tree chirped its song
Grasshoppers and butterflies flew about
As we sat there my grandfather said to me
My son I am old, I will not be long
The earth cries for our wisdom
Most of the bear are now no more
No Buffalo roam free
Fox and Wolf have no place to go
These things were many when I was young
My grandfathers were unwise men
They welcomed invaders as friends and gods
When they came to know this was foolish
They fought and argued among themselves
The enemy grew stronger and we grew weaker
Many died from white man’s sickness
Now too late to fight we are beaten
We are few and they are many
Bear and Buffalo are gone
Fox and Wolf have no place to go
I hear the earth cry for our wisdom
Time will come when only the foolish rule
And their foolish ways destroy
Away from their foolish ways that destroy
And Bear and Wolf have no place to go
I hear the earth cry for our wisdom
You must learn to lead these people my son
Love and protect this place that is our home
Room for Bear and Wolf and all people
I hear the earth cry for our wisdom
Years have passed since my grandfather spoke
I know what he was trying to tell me
They cannot her my grandfather’s voice
I hear the earth cry for our wisdom
- Glenn Evans
Publication Credits: All Night Diner, 18Oct 05; Buffalo Tracks,
SCW Publications, 2003
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