Quote of the Day - Maxine Hong Kingston

Today is the 75th birthday of the amazing Maxine Hong Kingston. She is best known for her memoir The Woman Warrior, which tells stories of her life interspersed with traditional Chinese folktales. I have never read the whole thing (a fact I am somewhat ashamed of, frankly), but we did read excerpts of it in several of my college classes about race and gender.

To me success means effectiveness in the world, that I am able to carry my ideas and values into the world - that I am able to change it in positive ways.

I especially love this quote from her because it is so perfectly captures my own beliefs about what constitutes a successful life. Creating positive change in the world has been my mission for as long as I can remember. It is certainly the motivation behind writing this blog -- sharing the stories of others who have been successful in their efforts to improve their own lives and the lives of others.

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