HOORAY! YOU WON! by Jane Kelley

We all want success. But how to get it? If only there were an actual staircase that you could climb. 

 

 

A path with no choices--just straight up the side of the mountain! With cheerful colors and murals to encourage you as you went.

 

And a nice tree to provide shade as you admired the view from the top. 

 

 

Success is more complicated than that. Some define it by awards. Some by numbers of dollars or likes.

Since everyone is sharing Top 10 lists at this time of year, I thought I'd make one for Success.

1. SURVIVING -- Are you still here? Hooray! You succeeded!
2. CREATING -- Did you write? Draw? Bake? Make anything at all?
3. FEASTING -- Did you eat? Drink? Indulge your senses?
4. TRAVELING -- Did you step outside yourself? Go someplace new? Or read about it? 
5. LAUGHING -- Did you make a joke? Or allow yourself to inspire one?
   
6. CRYING -- Did you let yourself be moved?
   
7. LISTENING -- Did you pay attention?
   
8. APPRECIATING -- Did you find unexpected treasure?
   
9. FORGIVING -- Did you release whatever hurt you?
   
10. LOVING -- Did you open yourself to the best part of being human?
    

If you missed any of these, you still have a few days left before the end of the year.

Or you could always visit that magical staircase in Sogamoso, Colombia. 

JANE KELLEY writes MG novels that she hopes encourage multiple kinds of success.