Success Is an Obligation—Not a Luxury
Years ago, walking downtown Vancouver with my young son, we passed Hastings Street—raw, uncomfortable, unavoidable. He noticed the number of people living on the street and asked the question every honest child asks: Why are they here? Why don’t they have a place to live? I told him the truth. There are many reasons. Some are tragic and outside a person’s control. Others are the result of choices made over time. Then I said something that stuck with both of us: Your obligation is not to become one of them. That may sound harsh. It isn’t. It’s a responsibility. Success isn’t about status, money, or applause. Success is about stewardship—of your life, your talents, and your future. When you abdicate responsibility, you don’t just hurt yourself. You burden your family, your community, and society at large. Someone else has to carry the weight you refused to lift. Here’s the uncomfortable
