by: LJ Smith
Where does this saying come from? The phase comes from a poem written by Bessie Anderson Stanley in 1904. “He achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much.”
https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a7206/where-did-live-love-laugh-come-from/
Success
by: Bessie Anderson Stanley
He has achieved success
who has lived well,
laughed often, and loved much;
who has enjoyed the trust of
pure women,
the respect of intelligent men and
the love of little children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he found it
whether by an improved poppy,
a perfect poem or a rescued soul;
who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty
or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others and
given them the best he had;
whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory a benediction.
This poem is in the public domain.
Bessie Anderson Stanley (1879 – 1952), a resident of Kansas, wrote this for a magazine contest that asked, “What constitutes success?” Her entry won first place. Bessie’s words are often erroneously attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Robert Louis Stevenson, and often paraphrased, but this is the original version.
https://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem.jsp?poem_id=2394
Making time to “Live, Laugh, Love” is great advice. Thanks Bessie!
About Me:
Life is precious, capture its beauty. I am lucky to have a loving family, and wonderful friends. Like everyone, I have good days and bad days, happy days and sad days, patient days and crabby days, beautiful days and ugly days, etc. I try to “hold the bright side up” as much as I can because it makes me feel better, and I think it helps others feel better too. I am so far from perfect, but I try to be kind and respectful. I truly believe that life is precious and that there are so many extraordinary ordinary people and moments in life. I want to share and celebrate the “extraordinary ordinary” through my writing and photography. Please check out my photos at Fine Art America Photography https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/35-laura-smith; at Adobe Stock at https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/207669601/Laura%20Jean%20Smith or at Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/g/LauraJSmith. Perhaps you will find something you would like to have as your own?
