The only durable sense of success is if you've followed your

The words of Jim Harrison — “The only durable sense of success is if you’ve followed your calling.” — speak with the weight of eternity. They remind us that success built on wealth, applause, or fleeting victories will one day wither, but the fulfillment that comes from following one’s calling endures through storms and silence alike. To follow a calling is to listen to the voice within, the sacred whisper that points each soul toward its true path. Only when we obey this voice can our achievements bring lasting peace, for otherwise, even triumph will feel hollow.

The ancients knew this truth well. The Greeks spoke of daimon, the inner spirit that guided each man’s destiny. To ignore it was to live in conflict, but to follow it was to live in harmony with the order of the universe. So too did the Romans speak of genius, the divine spark within each person, calling them to their true work. Harrison’s words echo this ancient wisdom: that true success is not measured by what the world crowns, but by the faithfulness with which a man heeds his inner voice.

History gives us examples shining like beacons. Consider Vincent van Gogh, who lived in poverty, despised and dismissed by his contemporaries. By worldly measures, his life was failure. Yet he followed his calling, painting with a fire that consumed him. Though unrecognized in life, his work now stands immortal, testifying that true success was already his, for he obeyed the voice within, and that obedience left a legacy that the centuries could not erase.

Contrast this with those who chased only riches or renown. Many rulers built empires, but their names are forgotten, their wealth scattered, their monuments crumbled. Their success was not durable, for it was not aligned with their true purpose. They lived by the demands of others, not by the calling of their own souls. When death came, nothing remained but dust. Harrison warns us: to live this way is to build a palace of sand, certain to be swept away.

But to follow a calling demands courage. The path of destiny is rarely easy. It may bring poverty, exile, misunderstanding, or loneliness. Yet within it is a strength the world cannot give. Beethoven, struck deaf in his prime, could have surrendered. Yet he knew his calling was music, and he continued to compose works that still thunder in the hearts of men. His success was not measured by applause, but by the fulfillment of the voice that called him onward, even in silence.

The lesson is clear: seek not the fleeting crown, but the eternal voice within. Ask not, “What will bring me fame?” but, “What is my calling? What task was I born to fulfill?” For when you live by that answer, every step, even in hardship, will carry meaning. And when you die, you will not wonder if you succeeded, for you will know you have walked the path appointed to you.

Practical wisdom follows: listen daily to your inner spirit. In silence, discern what brings you alive, what stirs your heart beyond comfort or reward. Do not fear if it is difficult or misunderstood — that is the mark of a true calling. Follow it with discipline, and though the world may doubt you, your life will shine with a durable success that no man and no time can take away.

Thus, O seeker, remember Harrison’s truth: success that endures is not given by men, but by fidelity to your calling. Follow it bravely, and you will leave behind not only works and deeds, but the deeper legacy of a soul that lived in harmony with itself and with eternity.