According to this morning's CNN news, Seattle is the smartest city in America. Fifty two percent of its residents age 25 or older have completed a Bachelor's degree or higher. The city is also considered the most literate in the United States by Central Connecticut University, beating out Minneapolis, Washington and Atlanta. They base their rating on such things as the number of book sellers, libraries, and newspaper circulation. Dallas did not make the list of the top 25 cities. We think that's dumb.

So maybe people in Seattle can figure out how to avoid September. Another CNN report warns us that today begins what is typically the worst month of the year for the economy. Since 1950, the Dow has fallen an average of 1.1 percent in September; the S&P 500 has fallen an average of 0.7 percent; since its inception in 1971, the Nasdaq has seen an average decline of 1 percent in this month.

Investors are already worried about the rapidly cooling housing market and its impact on consumer spending. If inflationary pressures don't lessen, the Federal Reserve might have to restart its rate-hike campaign. An unusually strong August makes September vulnerable to profit taking. And the second year of a presidential term is usually the worst for the economy; 2006 is year two of this administration.

Now I'm feeling dumb and poor. How about you?

The good news is that we don't have to be smart or rich to be significant. In fact, there is little historical connection between education or wealth and value to humanity. Abraham Lincoln was a self-educated lawyer whose legal and political endeavors failed at nearly every turn. Winston Churchill's teachers thought his future would be limited at best. Michael Jordan grew up in an impoverished community and was cut by his seventh-grade basketball coach. In the eyes of the authorities, Jesus of Nazareth was nothing more than an itinerant Galilean carpenter and peasant.

Complete surrender to his call is the one enduring measure of success. One of my favorite stories about Mother Teresa concerns the time she traveled to New York City for the opening of an orphanage there. A press conference broke out, and a reporter shouted the question, "How will you judge the success of this?" The tiny Albanian nun turned, smiled into the glare of the television lights, and said, "I don't believe our Lord ever spoke of success. He spoke only of obedience." No college diploma or investment portfolio needed. By her definition, how successful are you today?

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