Success can be as simple as the warm feeling you get when you

The words of Maryanne Trump Barry, “Success can be as simple as the warm feeling you get when you smile at a stranger, someone you know must be lonely, and having that stranger return your smile. It can be the bringing of a child into the world and raising that child to be a good man or woman,” remind us that the truest measures of greatness are not found in gold, crowns, or monuments, but in the quiet exchanges of kindness and the sacred labor of nurturing life. In this vision, success is not a prize bestowed by the world, but a flame kindled in the soul whenever love is given and received.

The first image she gives us is small yet profound: a smile shared with a stranger. How many pass by us each day, carrying unseen burdens, walking in silence through the wilderness of loneliness? To smile at such a soul is to break the walls of isolation, to remind them that they are still part of the human family. And when that smile is returned, even faintly, it is a triumph greater than wealth, for it means that the heart has been touched, that despair has been momentarily lifted. In this, we find a success deeper than worldly accolades, for it is measured not in possessions, but in connection.

The ancients, too, spoke of such triumphs. In the teachings of the Stoics, it was said that to live well is to live in harmony with others, to perform small acts of virtue that strengthen the bonds of community. The scriptures of many faiths remind us that to give water to the thirsty, to comfort the lonely, or to offer a word of hope is worth more than all treasures. Barry’s words echo these eternal truths: success begins not in grandeur, but in compassion.

Her second image lifts us higher still: the bringing of a child into the world and raising that child to be good. Here, success is not in the act of creation alone, but in the lifelong devotion of shaping a soul toward virtue. To raise a child to goodness is to offer a gift not only to the family, but to the whole of humanity. It is to plant a tree whose shade will bless generations yet unborn. This is the noblest of all successes, for it endures beyond one’s lifetime and multiplies through every life that child touches.

History gives us luminous examples. Think of Augustine’s mother, Monica, whose steadfast devotion shaped one of the greatest thinkers of the Christian tradition. Or of Abraham Lincoln’s stepmother, Sarah Bush Lincoln, who poured love and guidance into a boy that would one day bear the weight of a nation. These women left no empires, no palaces, yet their success resounds through centuries, for they raised children into goodness. So too, Barry teaches us that true greatness is not in being celebrated, but in creating lives of value.

There is a quiet heroism in both these visions of success: the smile to the lonely and the raising of a child. Neither may draw applause or recognition, but both ripple outward with immeasurable power. A smile can save a heart from despair. A good child can become a beacon in a darkened world. And in these simple acts lies the blueprint of a life well-lived.

The lesson is clear: do not measure your worth by the measures of the world alone. Seek success not only in the halls of wealth or fame, but in the sacred simplicity of kindness, compassion, and love. If each day you can brighten the life of another, even with a smile, if you can guide even one soul toward goodness, then you have triumphed. For such victories are eternal, and no decay of time can erase them.

So remember, O seekers of tomorrow: success is not a distant throne to be seized, but a seed planted daily in the soil of human hearts. Smile at the stranger, raise the child, give light to the weary, and in these acts you will find a greatness that shines brighter than gold and outlives all earthly crowns.