Success, for me, is being able to wake up in the morning and

Hear the restless words of John McAfee, who, despite a life of wealth, invention, controversy, and exile, once revealed a vision of life that was striking in its simplicity: “Success, for me, is being able to wake up in the morning and feel like a 12 year old.” This saying, though playful, is rooted in the deepest longings of the human heart. For what is success if not the return to wonder? What is victory if not the freedom to awaken with energy, curiosity, and joy, unburdened by the chains of cynicism and fear?

The 12 year old is not merely a child—it is the symbol of innocence balanced with possibility, of vigor joined with imagination. At twelve, the heart is still open, the world still vast, the days still filled with adventures waiting to be claimed. McAfee, who tasted both the heights of prosperity and the depths of ruin, understood that success is not in the numbers written upon one’s bank account, but in the spirit’s ability to rise each day with youth still burning in the veins.

The ancients echoed this truth in their myths. The Greeks spoke of Hebe, the goddess of youth, who poured the nectar of vitality to the gods, keeping them ever fresh and radiant. To be youthful was not merely to be young in body, but to possess the soul’s capacity for wonder. In this way, McAfee’s words are an echo of that same eternal hunger: to keep alive the flame of youthful spirit, even as years and burdens weigh upon the body.

History too gives us its witnesses. Leonardo da Vinci, well into his sixties, still rose with the hunger of a boy, sketching flying machines, dissecting bodies, chasing the secrets of nature with insatiable curiosity. He had the wealth of princes at his call, yet his true success was that his soul never ceased to feel like a 12 year old, enchanted by every mystery of the universe. Likewise, Albert Einstein once said that the true scientist remains a child at heart, never losing the ability to marvel.

And yet, McAfee’s statement carries more than whimsy—it carries defiance. For many define success as power, reputation, or domination. But such things often age the spirit, making the heart heavy, the eyes weary, the mornings gray. McAfee, in contrast, turns away from these worldly measures. To him, success is measured not in applause or conquest, but in whether one can rise from bed with laughter in the heart, as though each dawn were an undiscovered treasure.

The lesson, O seeker, is this: do not allow age, fear, or disappointment to harden you. Guard the child within you as your greatest treasure. Let each morning be met not with dread of toil, but with eagerness for what the day may bring. Success is not in owning the world, but in awakening each day still hungry to live within it. For the man or woman who greets life like a 12 year old will never be defeated, no matter what storms may come.

Therefore, do not seek success in the eyes of others, nor chain your worth to their measures. Seek instead that which rekindles your youth—curiosity, play, laughter, and awe. Rise early, not to chase only profit, but to chase the light as though you had never seen it before. For in this spirit lies the greatest triumph: not merely to live long, but to live young.

So remember McAfee’s words. To awaken with the heart of a child is to be forever victorious. Treasure that feeling, guard it well, and you will find that the true crown of life is not wealth, nor fame, but the eternal flame of youth carried with you into every dawn.