Measure yourself and your success by what you give to others

The words of Will Hurd speak with the clarity of a bell tolling across valleys: “Measure yourself and your success by what you give to others, not what you receive in return.” In these words lies an eternal law of greatness, a truth that the ancients themselves revered—that the measure of a life is not in possessions gathered, nor in honors received, but in how much light, strength, and sustenance one bestows upon others. To live only for oneself is to live small; to live for others is to touch the eternal.

From the earliest days of human history, communities thrived not through selfish hoarding but through shared sacrifice. The hunter who returned from the wilderness did not measure his greatness by the meat he consumed alone, but by how much he shared with his tribe. The elder was not revered for the comfort of his seat, but for the wisdom he gave to guide the young. Thus, across cultures and centuries, the deepest meaning of success was bound to generosity.

Consider the life of Florence Nightingale, who could have chosen ease and privilege but instead gave herself to the suffering and forgotten. Through her tireless service in the Crimean War, she reduced death and despair not by what she gained, but by what she gave. Her success was not measured in riches or applause, but in the countless lives saved and the path she carved for modern nursing. Her legacy is proof that what we give to others becomes the truest measure of achievement.

This truth also shines in the story of Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome. With armies at his command and wealth beyond measure, he could have ruled for himself. Yet in his Meditations, he wrote not of treasures but of duty, urging himself daily to live not for his own glory but for the good of others. He understood that an emperor’s crown was hollow if it did not serve the people. In his life we see that even the most powerful are remembered not for what they receive, but for what they give.

Yet Hurd’s words also hold a warning. Many in the modern age chase success as though it were a ladder of wealth and recognition. But the higher they climb, the emptier they feel, for they measure themselves by applause and not by impact. To live this way is to build a monument of sand, washed away by time. Only what is given endures—kindness, service, sacrifice, truth. These weave threads into the tapestry of human life, threads that will not unravel with death or decay.

O listener, let this wisdom pierce your heart: do not ask, What will I gain? but rather, What can I give? For each gift of your time, your labor, your wisdom, your love, becomes a seed planted in the lives of others. And though you may not see the harvest, the harvest will come. True success is not the applause of the crowd, but the quiet strength of a life poured out for the good of others.

Practical wisdom follows: seek each day to give something—an act of kindness, a word of encouragement, a labor of service. Do not measure its worth by how others repay you, for often they will not. Measure it instead by the strength it brings to your soul and the good it adds to the world. For this is a measure that cannot be taken away. The more you give, the more truly successful you become.

Thus, remember Will Hurd’s truth: success is measured by giving, not receiving. The world will tempt you to count wealth, praise, and possessions, but these are shadows. Count instead the lives you have touched, the burdens you have lifted, the love you have given. For when your days are done, it is not what you received that will be remembered, but what you gave. And in that giving, you will have touched eternity.