There is only one success--to be able to spend your life in your own way.

Morley’s aphorism redefines “success” as self-determination. Instead of treating success as a rank conferred by society, it makes it an inward condition: the freedom to allocate one’s time, labor, and attention according to one’s own values. The stress on “spend your life” suggests that life is a finite resource and that the true measure is how deliberately it is used. The quote also implies a critique of conformity: if your days are dictated by others’ expectations, even visible achievement can be a kind of failure. Its enduring appeal lies in its simplicity and its ethical push toward autonomy, integrity, and chosen purpose.