Could You Be Happy Unsuccesful?

“Could you be happy now with the wind in your hair and your eyes open wide and your feet going nowhere?”

–Copeland, On The Safest Ledge

I used to wash dishes at a coffee shop in Santa Monica. The customers were well-to-do, and sometimes demanding, but the tips were great. 

Often, my manager would write quotes on the glass between the customers and the counter. One particularly gloomy day, I grabbed the dry erase marker and wrote that Copeland lyric on the glass. 

People didn’t seem to enjoy it. 

It’s an arresting question, especially for ambitious people like us. We read blogs like this because we have goals and dreams and things we want to accomplish. We’re trying to find an edge and get a leg up. But it’s important to ask yourself if you’re enjoying the moment. 

Could you be happy, even if all this work didn’t amount to anything? If the answer is no, then maybe there’s some thinking to do.

Good luck out there.