I finally found the quote (I knew I'd written it down somewhere) that best expresses what my "dream" is, what "success" means to me -- or rather, what it means when I'm actually honest with myself about what I think matters, when I don't allow myself to be made to feel useless by richer, cleverer, or just plain louder people:
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
