Redefine Success Everyday
Channel: Our Highest Work
Date: 2014-09-30

Most of us don't live in a commune or monastery where our highest values are constantly reinforced.  Instead, we need to daily redefine what "success" means, unless we want the external world -- media, marketing, society, our past -- to constantly define it for us.

In this episode we explore what "success" is, and some practices to help us daily remind ourselves of our highest ideals.  

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Episode Notes:

To me the purpose of life is simple:
Spiritual growth through altruistic service.

It’s the distractions that complicate the journey.

See the slides here:
http://j.mp/redefinesuccessppt 

Where did I get these ideas?  From teachings that have been tested by hundreds of generations, billions of humans and proven worthwhile to be passed along generation after generation.  Proven worthwhile by history.

“Many religious traditions, such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Christianity advocate restraint with respect to actions of body, speech, and mind. These religions teach that a deeper level of satisfaction and fulfilment is to be found than that offered by sensual pleasures and therefore promote the value of abstaining from these common, ordinary pleasures in the pursuit of acquiring deep inner peace.” ~ wikipedia entry for Asceticism

In Buddhism the word for renunciation is “Nekkhamma” which is also translated as the pleasure of renunciation" … with the idea of “freedom from lust, craving and desires."  Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nekkhamma 

I’m not an ascetic … but I think of worldly pleasures and success as a respite when I need it in the main work -- our highest work -- of spiritual growth through altruistic service.

Seva / altruistic service -- can be done by everyone regardless of personality type:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cui-bono/201306/selfless-service-part-ii-different-types-seva 

http://www.servicespace.org/ -- Service Space is a wonderful organization that creates opportunities for spiritual growth through altruistic service

Be aware of the temptations for worldly success.  They easily become Distractions to your true purpose.  From the soul’s perspective, worldly success are like weights to a weight-lifter: just a bit can help the soul practice mindfulness, serve more deeply, and thereby, grow.  Too much worldly success will instead crush a soul and blind it from its true purpose.  (To “sell out.”)  This is why some deeply spiritual people decide on complete renunciation of worldly success… because the temptations are too great.  And, they realize that one can altruistically serve and spiritually grow, even with very little of the worldly things.  One of the greatest spiritual dangers for good people today is the longing to do big things, to “play a bigger game.”  They forgot that the biggest, greatest game was available to them all along: doing whatever task, small or big, that is given to one today, with full mindfulness, gratitude, and excellence.

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but my chief duty is to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” - Helen Keller

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”
― Ernest Hemingway

“Don't look for big things, just do small things with great love....The smaller the thing, the greater must be our love.” ~Mother Teresa

Beauty of this system is that there is no competition -- where does Jealousy and Envy come from?  I think there’s a seed of our conscience telling us some imbalance is being created.

Define concisely what success means to you
Define what success is NOT.
When you see it being promoted, say - I wish for their success in their definition.  My success is …
Pray or meditate multiple times a day.
Morning & evening reading
Be around others who share those values -- ideally a regular phone call or meeting 
Share values-based content everyday -- or simply journal (though sharing publicly is better)
Celebrate every time you find yourself on the road to your true success -- multiple times a day!

For more, visit: http://www.OurHighestWork.com