In order to build a career and to be successful, one has to be

Hear the words of Saul Leiter, the quiet visionary who painted with his lens and brush, who confessed: “In order to build a career and to be successful, one has to be determined. One has to be ambitious. I much prefer to drink coffee, listen to music, and to paint when I feel like it.” At first glance, these words may seem to renounce the world of striving, but listen more deeply, O seeker, and you will hear the wisdom of a man who chose peace of spirit over the restless hunger for crowns.

For when he speaks of determination and ambition, Leiter acknowledges the demands of the world. Indeed, to build empires, to forge careers, to ascend the ladders of men, one must labor tirelessly, compete, and never rest. Such is the way of the market, of the courts, of the crowded arenas where men strive against men. Yet in the second breath he whispers a different truth: that he himself would rather sip coffee, let music wash over him, and let creation flow not from compulsion but from joy. Here lies the tension between worldly success and inner freedom.

The meaning of these words is not disdain for work, but the revelation of a deeper path. For Saul Leiter, to live was not to chase endlessly after applause, but to dwell in the quiet rhythm of the moment. His greatness as a photographer did not come from ambition sharpened like a sword, but from the simple wonder with which he looked upon the streets of New York—the blurred reflections in a rainy window, the red of a passing umbrella. He became great not because he sought greatness, but because he chose to be present with his art.

Consider the tale of the Chinese poet Tao Yuanming, who, though offered high office, turned away from the courts of power to tend his fields and drink his wine. The world remembers not the names of those who sat in gilded halls beside him, but the poems of Tao endure, sung across centuries. Just as Saul Leiter preferred his coffee and his music to ambition, Tao preferred the simplicity of his fields to the burden of crowns. Their lesson is the same: true creation springs not from forced ambition, but from the serenity of a spirit free to breathe.

Yet, let us not mistake this as a call to sloth. For to paint when one feels like it, to live with gentleness, still requires attentiveness, still demands devotion to craft. Leiter’s photographs did not arise from idleness, but from a life shaped by sensitivity, by patience, by a different kind of determination—not the determination to conquer the world, but the determination to remain true to oneself. Thus, ambition may build towers, but authenticity builds temples that last.

From this saying we learn a lesson for our own days: weigh carefully what kind of success you seek. If you desire the crowns of men, then strive with ambition, sharpen your will, and build with relentless energy. But if you desire peace, meaning, and beauty, learn to honor the small moments—your morning coffee, your chosen music, the joy of creation that comes not as command but as gift. Each soul must choose its measure, and neither path is unworthy, but only one will bring you true contentment.

Therefore, let your practice be this: ask yourself often, “Am I striving for ambition’s sake, or am I creating from joy?” If your heart is restless, pause and drink deeply of the present moment. Take time each day to do one thing not for profit, not for applause, but for love alone—whether to paint, to write, to walk, or to listen. In these small acts lies the seed of a deeper life, the life Saul Leiter chose.

So remember his words, O children of tomorrow: career and ambition may bring success in the eyes of the world, but peace and creation spring from a cup of coffee, a song in the air, and the courage to live by your own rhythm. Choose wisely, and your life itself will become art.