We judge ourselves and others according to our ideas of what constitutes failure or success. When we decide that someone is a success, we applaud them and envy them. When we condemn another person as a failure, we avoid them and pity them. Yet our notions of failure and success are extremely limited and are inextricably linked with poverty and prosperity.
A man or woman who makes a great deal of money, owns many possessions and can wield power over others is considered a success, regardless of whether or not this person is happy, fulfilled, self-aware or kind to others. A person who is contented, at peace with themselves, generous and spiritually aware may still be considered a failure if he or she is poor and has few possessions.
How have we created such distorted notions? The answer is through fear. It is fear that drives us to believe that however much we have, it is still not enough.
When we narrow our vision in this way, we ignore so much that is good and valuable. We forget the joy that lies in our relationships with others, in meaningful endeavour, in being generous and in developing a strong inner life.
Unfortunately, people who earn a great deal of money are labelled as a 'success' automatically, no matter how grey and anxious their visages. Others, who do not fit in with society's rules by being ambitious or acquisitive, are labelled 'odd', 'failures', 'misfits', and 'dropouts'.
The path to finding true success and to banishing the fear of failure is to know your own inner worth. False success can swindle your soul. Inner worth liberates it. Inner worth knows your fears and uses them daily, transforming them into productive and useful energy and knowledge.
Failure presents itself to stop you in your tracks so that you may know yourself, this is its great value. It is through your failures that you can discover your inner worth. As your sense of inner worth becomes stronger, you will find that you deal with failure better, never allowing it to defeat you, and that you attract success and good fortune.
Meditation for Discovering and Strengthening Inner Worth: Inner worth is what you are born with. It is all your essential goodness, talents, compassion and self-discipline, plus the ability to love everyone spiritually because you recognise your inner worth in others and theirs in you. This meditation will help you to rediscover the inner worth you already have.
Sit still and close your eyes. Tune in to the emotions and energy of other people. Feel everything they feel. Do not judge or become involved in what you sense, feel or experience. Be observant, and as you do this, feel the impartial compassion within you rise up and allow it to surge through you, to others.
When you activate your inner worth, people will relate to you more easily and you will have a greater sense of completeness. You are becoming more human, discovering freedom and serenity. Obstacles will not seem so daunting, and you will become happier with yourself. Treat your life as a sacred treasure. Do not squander it or let anyone else destroy it. Those people who do not respect or acknowledge their inner worth may try to belittle yours-do not allow them to.
'The Tibetan Art of Serenity'
Christopher Hansard
Salam,
Cherine
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