Success

Let me sit you down. Let me be a little blunt.
Let me take you aside and put up no front.
What
makes
a successful life?
What would you say is reason enough for a meaningful stuff we claim to pursue does it seem honest and true
And look. I'm me and you're you through and through
We have different goals in life and different things we want to do
Guided by a mixture of morals and philosophy and fear and ambition
That widen our scope or limit our ambition

I remember, when I was much younger
Leaving school with a burning passion and hunger
Another young man, whom I don't know if I would call a friend
Left me a message at our journey's end
He wished me what he would say to be wishes of success
Even though it contained a future I didn't wish to possess
And nothing against him, he was only being polite
But, how many of us do that, each day and night?

We think our own path through life is surely the right one
That if we achieve it everyone will nod and say "nice one"
I've had friends who take paths I would only go down under duress
Yet, for them they seem happy. So, I just wish them the best
Even if I think they may be causing the planet some harm
Even if their goal causes me anger, I must stay calm
Because I have no right. They're achieving happiness
They take their route and I'll take mine I guess

It just made me think, how much of what I want to achieve
Is down to what success I think other people will perceive?

I hope it's some percentage between one hundred and zero
I like my friends. I value who they are and what they know
At the same time, we have different paths and places we want to go
So, I hope the success I achieve is at least somewhat my own
I hope the path is uncertain, at least somewhat unknown
I hope to make other people smile, and live a little longer
I hope my path can make me smarter and stronger
I don't wish for money or status, just enough to get by
So that, when I finally take the journey to the sky
When asked what I did, I hope I can say nothing less
Than to say I felt my life a success