Articles of Interest

Court Challenges Get the Ball Rolling
Nautilus Residents Rise to Challenge

by Jeff Cory, CFP, ChFC,

Executive Director

In recent months, I've been examining and studying success. What does it means to live a life which is truly successful? There is no shortage of books, articles, and tapes on the subject of success, and there seem to be a number of well-meaning individuals who seem to have a real desire to make you and me successful. As a simple New Englander, I seem to find my heart drawn back to the traditional, well-aged writings of people like Yankee sage, author and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson's reflections on success are probably some of the most widely read and known. Read Emerson's quote about success, here on the right.

It's interesting to note that Emerson does not once refer to true success by the size of one's bank account, our status in society, a position of power, or fame. Truly, these may be considered non-essentials in terms of a successful life and a lasting and meaningful legacy which we entrust to the next generation. In Ralph Waldo Emerson's words, success means "to laugh... to win... to earn... to endure... to appreciate... to find... to leave... to know..." These are all actions which take root in our heart and find their utmost and most significant expression shared with others as we invest our lives and our energy in people.

Using Emerson's definition of success, I can attest that Shell Point Retirement Community is truly blessed with a remarkable number of successful individuals - all of you who begin each new day with the goal of living life to the fullest and making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

For some, this spirit of success is found as a volunteer in The Pavilion, in grocery shopping for a neighbor who cannot easily move around, or driving a friend to a doctor's appointment. Still others find significance in giving. The Friendship Fund, the Medical Center, a transportation van, Hope Hospice at Shell Point, and the Heart of it All Campaign are all made possible through the generosity of individuals who personify Emerson's meaning of success. Please join me in honoring every successful person who has contributed to making life at Shell Point more pleasurable, significant and enriching for us all.