How do I know I’ve done enough? What is success?
Those were the questions in my mind as I settled into a meditation session the other day. They’re questions that are on my mind most days.
With a long list of aspirations, I almost always feel like I could or should be doing more.
So I asked. And when I ask, I get an answer.
Ask and you shall receive.
The answer I got was much simpler than our mortal minds would think possible.
Here’s the easiest measure of success. It’s the only one that matters.
I settled into my meditation and asked my question to the Universe. The answer came quickly and clearly.
In your day:
Did you add to or did you take away?
Did you build up or did you tear down?
Did you contribute to making another person feel better?
It’s as simple as that.
It’s as simple as that because your purpose doesn’t lie in the material world.
In a day, a week, a year, or a lifetime, if you added to, built up, or contributed you were a success.
The major spiritual teachings warn us about attachments to the material world, but that doesn’t stop us.
Winning at any cost, attaining titles, and displaying a ton of junk we don’t need to give us a sense of worth is the trap we’re warned about, and at the same time, it’s the theme of our modern culture.
Like little children that don’t know any better, the Universe sits back and gets a chuckle at our misguided attempts.
The truth is the Universe doesn’t give a f*** that you have a designer handbag, a closet full of clothes, or that you got straight As in school.
The Universe cares about things that concern the spirit, not the ego.
The Universe cares about your spiritual growth.
I’m not talking about moralistic laws and rules that are man made. I’m talking about being a reflection of the purest qualities of an all loving, all knowing, and ever present Divine Source, whichever name you choose to give it. The name doesn’t matter because that’s man made too.
So the real question isn’t, “How do I measure success from a material point of view?”, but, “How do I measure success from a spiritual point of view?”
For years, measuring success was a rigged game I could never win.
No matter what I achieved, there was always someone else who was doing more of it. It could always be bigger or better. There was always another win to go for.
I accomplished a lot, but I often couldn’t see it because I’d be so quick to focus on the parts that were still missing.
I suppose I learned that attitude from the common messages prevalent in society.
Do more, have more, be more. It was exhausting.
I eventually hit a wall after years of focusing on my personal and career success.
Sometimes the measurements were more important than the work. If you obsessively focus on their story stats here on Medium, you know what I’m talking about.
I still appreciate the excitement of hitting a personal best. Like you, I enjoy the material rewards that come from work. But I’m making strides every year in making sure they don’t define my level of success.
Nothing in the material world has substance or permanence.
Put your efforts into your spiritual growth and supporting the spiritual growth of those around you.
Every day that you add to, build up, or contribute is a success.
I want to send you my free guide, “5 Days to More Peace, More Prosperity, and More Happiness”. Click here to get the guide for free!
Visit me at www.christinebradstreet.com
Cross posted at www.christinebradstreet.com and Change Your Mind Change Your Life
all images open source from Pixabay.com