The man in the glass!

That old “man in the glass” poem is less a poem and more an alarm clock- gentle, but impossible to snooze. We spend so much energy chasing the shiny things-titles, raises, followers, applause. But the real test is simpler: does your inner compass still point true?

I learned this the hard way one afternoon. I walked out of a meeting feeling triumphant. But in that meeting, when someone pushed a neat shortcut that quietly buried a structural risk, I stayed silent. I let it pass so the deck would look clean. On the surface, I had "won" - kept the room smooth, deck well thought through and the leader look good. Later, though, the compass inside me was rattling, like I had let the crowd steer me off my own north. The claps don't fix that kind of a wobble.

Since then, my definition of success is one question: does my compass still point where my values live? If yes, the day’s a win. If not, I try to course-correct before bed.

Sometimes that means saying no to easy wins. Sometimes it’s quietly fixing a slip-up. The payoff isn’t loud - it shows up as steadier mornings, trust that compounds, and a conscience that lets you sleep easy. That’s the kind of success I’ll pick any day: quiet, steady, and true.