Success.

I recently discovered a book. It has some words and lots of pictures. It follows the journey of a boy, a mole, a fox, and a horse. To quote the introduction of the book: “The boy is full of questions, the mole is greedy for cake. The fox is mainly silent and wary because he’s been hurt by life. The horse is the biggest thing they have ever encountered and also the gentlest. They are all different, like us, and each has their own weaknesses. I can see myself in all four of them, perhaps you can too.” (Charlie Mackesy “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse” introduction)

There are many lovely, thought-provoking lessons taught in this book, and perhaps I will mention more of them sometime. But, today, I wanted to share this one about success.

Very often, we find what we are looking for. Not very often is it what we hoped or expected it to be. Whether it’s wings, friendship, cake, or a home, everybody seeks happiness and something we like to call “success.” Is happiness and success found in money, ambition, awards, or accomplishments? Maybe. But personally, I agree with the mole that the truest success of all is simply, “to love.”

We each have a reason we want success. Comfort, security, usefulness. Personally, I’ve looked for success because I want to feel loved. Love is a funny thing though, because the more you pour it out to others, the more full of it your heart seems to get. It follows the Golden Rule that you ought to give what you would like most to receive. If you’d like to treat yourself or someone else with a surprise today, love is both inexpensive and infinitely valuable. It works well on rough terrain as well as smooth seas. It doesn’t offend bitterness or diminish sweetness. It is an excellent investment because it gives back to you much more than you put into it.

In whatever you are looking for, love tends to be a very good place to start.