Materialistically Driven Standard
In a world that is becoming progressively more materialistic, success tends to be measured almost strictly by monetary value. The net worth of a person places them in a hierarchy of a global success ladder. At the very top, you have the multi billionaires who vie for the distinction of being recognized as the richest men in the world. It is depicted as some championship race to the top, which lesser mortals cannot hope to scale. It helps your ranking if you own a cloud or a space ship. Fortune 500 lists the elite billionaire class in their annual assessment of wealthy individuals. In this listing we find a mixed bag of corporate kingpins, plutocrats, autocrats, despots and everyone else in between. Many have questionable values when it comes to human rights, ethical governance, respect for diversity, action on climate change, justice and equality issues.
As it is hard to see and measure more intrinsic values and easy to google the net worth of wealthy individuals it often becomes the sole yardstick of success. To a great extent how this wealth was acquired becomes obfuscated by the almighty dollar sign. Corporate and national leaders with despicable human rights and questionable ethical records can camouflage their shortcomings with their billionaire status. Referring to someone as a billionaire seems to whitewash everything else. The thinking is that if a person has been able to acquire that much wealth, they must be highly intelligent and possess extraordinary abilities. This kind of thinking has pervaded society to such an extent that they have even become a means of evaluating potential candidates for the highest political offices. We have only to look at what has recently happened in one of the largest democracies in the world.
The problem with a materialistic value outlook is that it sets a very bad model that ultimately undermines societies. It motivates people to set their life’s compass solely on the acquisition of more wealth. A blatant portrait of this can be seen in the world of professional sports, which has billionaires employing mercenary millionaire athletes to entertain the masses. Sports has become more about the value of athlete contracts and franchises than the game itself. The process of acquiring wealth often necessitates a total immersion and obsessive, self-centered involvement that can become unhinged from moral and ethical considerations.
The personal credo is to do whatever it takes to get to the top no matter what the consequences are. In this headlong pursuit family, friends, and associates may be abandoned or neglected. Afflictedwith the Midas syndrome, it become the siren call for achieving success. The “successful” are keen to exhibit their acquired luxuries for all the world to admire. These are the flags that signal their success to the admiring crowds. This blatant display of glitter motivates others to follow in their footsteps. It prompts them to conclude that the glittering objects that they acquire are all that really matters in life. We buy into this materialistic paradigm and dedicate our lives to emulating the practices and habits of wealthy celebrities. And yet when we drill down into this glowing veneer and gauge other values, their lives become less appealing. There is nothing wrong with wealth per se as long as it is connected to and respectful of more essential values.
Morally Driven Success
The fundamental tenets of Eternal Light guide us in a different direction. We must realize that we are reborn many times and tested to find our way back to the source of all life. Because EL’s essence is love, our purpose in life is to become the embodied expression of that love during our time on this planet. Whether we are the richest or the poorest man or woman on earth our life’s goal is the same. In fact, we are tested during many life cycles in different circumstances that may place us in abject poverty or extreme wealth. Success is measured in how we turn our lives to more spiritual wisdom, which is highlighted by love-driven morality in thought and in practice.
If we are to be successful as a species then this is where we have to make progress. Those that are tested in great wealth should be motivated to share their wealth with those that have less and see this as their measure of success. The poor should not be driven by envy of the rich because they may be also tested in that way in future reincarnations. Consequently, material success is not why we are here. Wealth is irrelevant to the real purpose of life. The rich are tested to share their wealth so as to create a more equal and just society where no one is left behind. Our media and influencers are tested to pay more attention to those whose values are tied to catering to the many needs of others in the most equitable fashion.
There is too much wealth in the hands of the very few that, if distributed more equitably, could elevate the lives of the entire human population and solve many of the grave problems that threaten our very existence. This all requires a recognition of our true nature, purpose and destiny, which is connected to a love-based essence. However, our free will could plunge us in a different direction. One in which spiritual ignorance dominates and is manifested by greed, intolerance, corruption, xenophobia, anger, and brutal inequality. This is what we must guard against because it is the path to self-destruction.
We see some light at the end of the tunnel, which better defines success. There are many examples of corporate elites who invest generously in charitable foundations to fight poverty, sickness and inequality in many less fortunate parts of the globe. The equitable sharing of Covid-19 vaccines through COVAX is another example of a morally sound direction with global benefits. The wealth of nations or individuals used in this way sets them apart and establishes a true measure of success.