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I'm your host, Alex San Felipe.

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And now, let's get to the episode.

There's an elderly man lying in a bed in a dark, quiet room.

Around him are family, children, grandchildren, trying hard not to let

him see their tears. He wouldn't be able to see them anyway through his own. His tears are not

because he's dying. He had lived a long, busy life, but because of a painful realization that gripped

him in these last moments. He had achieved so much, was the top of his class, expert in his field,

wealthy and well-known,

but in all of his pursuit of success, he had failed to pursue what really mattered.

The family now gathered around him.

In the midst of his life, his understanding and pursuit of success seemed right and valuable,

but on this end, he realized what that pursuit cost him and how little he had actually gained.

If he could do it all again, he would embrace being unsuccessful for the sake of what really

matters. Now, we've all heard that classic anecdote, and we might accept this cautionary tale

broadly, but too often don't apply it throughout our lives. And it's understandable. Functionally,

it seems like success matters.

If you aren't successful, how can you put food on the table?

If you don't have a good reputation, how will you be respected?

We equate success with thriving so completely that being unsuccessful is avoided at all cost,

...