Choose, Success or Significance?

We all want to be financially stable, who isn't? To have enough to spend and more to store. It is a great motivator and controls most people's lives. It chooses occupations, and controls how time, energy and resources are used. It can influence relationships, schedules and even our families. There are more people so consumed by this passion that many are left broken and moralities in question.

 

I think we are not called to make this passion our life. In fact, compared to significance, it fades just like that.

I have learned that success is like a tide, it comes and flows with the rise and fall of economy.  As recent years have proven, financial success is always at the mercy of a national economy and increasingly, a world economy. When the economy goes down (as it always does), so does net worth.

Success also ends on the day we die. All wealth and possessions will be immediately transferred to someone else. And even if we get to pick where they go, the reality is that person is always someone other than us. And it is never enough. Financial success will never satisfy the innermost desires of our soul. No matter the amount of financial success earned, it always leaves us wanting more.

On the other hand, significance always lasts. Significance will always outlast us. Even when we are no longer present, our significance will still be ours. And nothing can ever take that away from us. It carries on. Significance keeps on giving. When you positively change the life of another human being and that person changes the life of another who impacts the life of another who influences another, it gets paid off forward. 

I think significance also satisfies our soul. While the thirst for success is never quenched, significance satisfies our deepest heart and soul. It allows us to lay our head on our pillow each night confident that we lived a valuable and fulfilling day.

Unfortunately, many people spend most of their lives chasing financial success. And while some achieve it more than others, many will never find it in the end. When they begin to shift their life focus to significance instead of success, they wonder why they wasted most of their life chasing something different.

Don’t waste any of your life. I suggest to seek significance today. How? Let's see...

Realize that life won’t last forever. We know that we will eventually die but no one wants to think about it. Sad, why? Because I believe that when we think that we will eventually expire, we can begin to live differently, at this moment. We are never too young or old to start to think about our legacy. How do we want to be remembered, and what do we really want to accomplish before we die? I don't want to sound morbid, I am just simply saying, that if we were to make a list of things we would like to be thought of, I am pretty sure we will not find there "drive a nice BMW!"

Try to live a life worth imitating. Live with character, integrity, and morality. Our life should look the same in private as it does in public. And while no one is perfect, just begin striving for a life of integrity. It will be noticed.

Let's try to focus on people. Not money. Begin to change our life’s focus from our bank accounts to the people around us. Rather than worrying about the how to get-rich-quick blah,blah, blah, spend that energy focusing on our family, our neighbor, or the disadvantaged in our community.

Maybe we can start with one person. Find one person who needs us today. Start there. Significance may be as inexpensive as one cup of coffee or as simple as one heartfelt question. If we are unsure on how to start, how about with a smile.

Let us find a career outside our job. Sometimes, our day job leads to significance. But if ours does not, find a “career of significance” outside of our job by learning something else and be great at it (like I did photography). Most likely, our gifts, talents, or expertise are desperately needed. Use our job to pay the bills, but use our “new career” to pay our soul.

I know that too many people think that, “once I make it rich, I’ll become significant.” I don't think so. Let's try to choose significance today. Begin striving for it now. If, then, financial success comes our way in the future, our mind will be in a better place to truly use our new success for broader significance.

Reduce our expenses. Yes we can learn to live with less. Living with less frees up our life to invest into others. And living with reduced expenses allows us the freedom to not spend so much time at the office and more resources on others.

Read books of people who sought significance rather than success. The lives and writings of these authors will inspire us to make more of ours.

People don't often look back on their lives and savor their professional achievements. Instead, they celebrate the impact they have had in the lives of others. Give ourselves much to look back and celebrate. Stop chasing success. Start seeking significance.

I am.

If You Only Have Six Months To Live

I don't want to sound morbid, nor anything in particular, it's just that I was reading Paulo Coehlo's Veronica Wants To Die and I just had this thought. You see, the story is about a young woman who committed suicide by swallowing a handful of sleeping pills thinking that her life is so normal with no excitement and sense and ending it is the best thing to do. Only to wake up after in a mental institution, and finding out that the result of her act was a heart malfunction that she only has a few days to live. Ironic, however, this made her rethink about her life and realized that there are more reasons to live, (read the book and find out what happens, it's not what you think!)

Anyway, so there, I had this thought, what if we only have six months to live our lives? What do we do with the time we have?


Who would wespend our time with? Are we spending our time with them now? Are there ways we can plan to spend more time with them? Can we more fully experience and treasure the time we spend with them now?

What would we want to do more of? Would we travel? Is there somewhere we’ve always dreamed of going but for some reason have never put the plan into action? Would we spend more time outdoors, or expressing our creativity, or listening to music? Would we wake up earlier? Would we eat differently? Are there things we would want to learn more about? Are there activities and hobbies we would want to try?

What would we let go of and do less of? Would we still want to go to our workplace (maybe not all day everyday) or would we quit immediately and never look back? Would we watch the same amount of TV or are there more meaningful things we’d want to do with our time? Would gossip and drama still interest us in our everyday conversations? Would we spend as much time playing computer games and surfing the net? Would we still enjoy the company of the people we spend most time with now?

If we wouldn’t continue to do what we’re doing now if we found out we only had six months left to live, then why are we doing it now?

Sure we might need to work in order to plan for a hopefully long and healthy future, but do we have to do the work we are currently doing if we don’t find it rewarding?

If we don’t start to make changes now, then when will we? If we acknowledge that the quality of our lives doesn’t reflect our vision of what it could be, then when do we suppose we will achieve an improved quality of life?

Don’t wait for a tragedy to be forced into rethinking our lives.

Today, do less of one of those things that isn’t included in the overall vision of your life, and do more of one of those things that is included. I know I will.

Life Beyond Me

There is something about 12 miss calls, an inbox and 8 messages that somewhat tells us that we are important. We are bombarded with a very inviting idea: "Someone needs me!" The sudden ring, buzz or pop up notes telling of an incoming message is a bit flattering, even if it demads our attention - "Check your inbox now! Someone is looking for you!"

Truly technology progressed and deepens our sense of importance by compeling us to establish and personalize this world. I am only a click away from "my documents," "my favorites," "my music," and "my pictures."

I came across this article called A Slice of Infinity, which parallels what I am trying to explain, there's this feeling of importance called "MeWorld." The article tells how the world of technology shaped our lives, filling it with individual "flattered selves" each living in its own insulated, personalized world. We become narcissic that was the result and constantly being shoved by media in all areas of our lives from Facebook to television and magazines that ever always taking account our personal lives.

Subtle it may seem to be, but the sad thing is that I realize we slowly lose sight of both our life and self. Despite all the necessity and excitement being with my computer to check what's going on, this is not "my world." Though I am flattered by the attention of MeWorld. I am not the center of the world and everything is not all about me.

I see people who cannot help themselves to be the center of attention, flatteries encourage them to pursue living a a senseless life. They create and do all these real and reel experience and accumulate unnecessary things just to be "in" and "be one."

There is so much more than that, we need to expand our lives outside the confinements of our computer screen and experience life as it comes. Technology can just be a "tool" to reach further but not necessary the life we need to live. Outside the confines of our computer screen is a world that has so much more to offer than "clicks and scrolls," experiencing life as we see, hear, smell and touch it will heighten our sense of oneness and participation in the ever evolving world around us.

We can see that the world revolves, but not for us, but for itself and we are just a part of it. Enclosing ourselves and creating the mini world and create a make believe self will deprive us of the "real" importance of a role that we play in the reality of life.
I used to stay home the whole two day weekend, but nowadays, I make sure I go out go around the block, my immediate vicinity, the city, feel the sun, see the sights, hear the sound and often I take them home with me, through the pictures I capture in my camera.

No Spare

Coming to terms with what might have been,
Scares the life out of me.
But knowing that what could have been,
Would be life I have yet to see.

Sometimes I get so careless.
But I cannot simply stop.
Often I am aware but nevertheless
I let myself drop.

Do you know what I am saying?
Would anybody even care?
I may be living without knowing
I have only this life and with no spare.

The Difference Between the Life We Live and Living a Life

We may think that we are living the "ideal" life, doing the things we "think" we are supposed to do, or acquired to do, or better yet, forced to do. We may "think" that having that much amount of money in our accounts, big house, a car, a stable job and things you can have is the perfect life.

To some, maybe, to many, a dream, but to a few, it's another story.

Yesterday I was asked about my future by my Sudani colleague at work. The conversation goes a little like this:

"Do you save?" Out of the blue, he asked.
"Save what?" I answered.
"For your future, do you save enough money for your future?"
"Why? Why do I need to save?"
"Of course, so that you can buy a house, a car, or go travel. Be secure."
"Why do I need those?" by this time, my colleague looks a bit puzzled.
"You don't need those? When you grow old what will you do?"
I said, "I will sit down on a corner and read a book."
"What? Just read a book? How about your children, when you have children, how you will send them to school."
"Of course, I will send them to school, feed them, buy them things they need, but I am not thinking about it now."
It's his turn now to ask the questions, "Why?"
"You see, I try not to worry about the future, cause we have no idea what our future is. We can die today, or tomorrow, who knows? What I am worrying about is today because my future will depend on what I do today, now. If I do good today, then tomorrow will be better, I will wake up tomorrow feeling good knowing that I did good yesterday."
"What you mean, I don't understand."
"It's just like this, my friend, I don't worry about my future, simply because I know my future will ok, that's all I need to know. I don't save because I know I will be provided for."
"By who?"
"By Allah."
"Oh yes, Allah will be providing you." he said, "but still, that's not how it works."
"Haha, this will not end Habibi, rest assured, I will be fine."
"Ok. You don't want to be rich?"
"I am rich, not with money, but with love.
"What?"
"Yes, my friend, I am rich, I have my family, my friends, I have good health, I have work, I have air to breath, I can see and hear you. I am blessed, what else do I need?"
He looks so puzzled and maybe he does really not understand what I am talking about. But I am not being philosophical, I think I just answered his questions the way I am viewing my life today. Don't get me wrong, I do get worried, but I readily brush the thoughts and feelings aside. I just say a little prayer and live it all to God, the Universe, the Spirit to take care of the rest.

I am in constant battle between the life I live and the life I am suppose to be living. What kind of life is that? One that is always happy and at peace with anyone and the world. How is that, that is impossible?! No it is not, it's just a matter of turning the mind to the basic things, clearing the mind of worries and woes, looking at things on different perspective and simply find joy in all you do.

The world is already too messed up to contribute more into it. Life is simple and short to have too many hang ups and worries. We are rich and blessed with so much things that we take this for granted. We always look at the big picture when the small things are the things the matters most.

We are always vigilant with the things we can have, we can get, we can obtain, and not too much on what we can give, share and let go.
The universe is calling out loud for a shower of power, strength, peace, joy and love, but only few are able to hear and receive it.
Listen, open your mind and your heart. The key to life's ultimate bliss is inside us. It's always been there, we just have to find how to release it and each of us has our own unique way of finding it.

The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success

As influenced by my favorite couple Ivy and Benjie, reading inspirational and self-help books has slowly and surely influence my day to day living. It started a great change in me that every morning upon waking up I automatically set my mind and body to the vibration of the universe, say what?. Simply say Thank You, it is a powerful morning mantra that sets up a unique experience throughout the day.

I am not trying become another Gandhi, (but not a bad inspiration) I am just into trying to be a better person. Life is not that really bad despite its ups and downs. It's just a matter of perspective.

I never forget to thank the Universe for the day , regardless of what the outcome will be, I've learn how to control my feelings and emotions, to be aware of the synchronocity and connection to everything around me, be it another human being, an animal even the inanimate objects and the reasons behind each encounter I have with them.

Another book I just read and truly am thankful that I came across was Deepak Chopra's The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success. In his book he tackles the issue of people having hard times livings when we are not suppose to. There is a simplier way of living if we only allow ourselves to act on our potential to be great in whatever we do, and to realize that the power is within us to change our lives, achieve the happiness that we thought had been eluding us and the freedom to be just ourselves.

We are creative beings, and the universe is ours to command, but we don't know how for thousands of reasons, but to simplify it, we are so distracted by the secular world that we forgot about the basics.

Our ancestors sometimes amazes us with their knowledge of the world, they are far more advanced compared to us today in terms of understanding the way of the universe. Why? Because there are no distractons to occupy their daily existence and their lives were much, much simplier.

Each Law represents a part of that is naturally occuring around us. Each act, when imbibed is easy and worth trying. No Law in the book is impossible nor hard to understand. I am trying to practice one Law a day until I get the hang of it and surely something better will come up of it.

Summarizing, the first law is about awareness, if we are aware of the potential of everything, and not to create rift between what is now and what we want to be a now, simpl not judging anythng that occurs and just let it be as it is, we are open to to potentiality. The second law is the about giving, to freely give from the heart that is the true essence of this law. Everyday, we must give anything we can to the universe, to a person to something. Taking are of the environment is one way of giving bac kto the world, a simple compliment or a greeting is giving back to another, a gift can be tangible or non tangible and it does not matter. Third law as everybody is aware of this is the Law of Karma, the cause and effect, whatever we do, we get it back and that is given already. Do good, then good things will happen, do the opposite and you'll get it's effect.

To be defenseless, or try not convince others to your point of view, to let the moment as it is, to keep within yourself that "ego trip" to win an issue for the sake of lifting your self-worth, is what hte fourth law is all about.Remaining open to all kinds of views and not to struggle with the moment. Have you wanted something so bad that if you put your mind to it, eventually you'll have it? Intention and Desire is the fifth law.

The sixth leads to becoming free from attachment, we should not be running after things that are not really that worth going for. Most of the times we simply get too hung up on things, moment, a feeling, a memory that it stagnates our growth spiritually. Remember that these things are all passing, but our lives goes on.

Ever wanted to know your purpose in life? Try these, know your talent, and share it with others, what are you so passionate about that not only creates inner joy to you and to anyone around you? Ask yourself always, "How can I serve?" instead of "What's in it for me?" and you're on way to a blessed life, that's the seventh Law.