Generally, you measure Success in direct proportion to how much Happiness does it give you. Right?
When we look at “Successful” people, what expression do they have on their face?
Happiness, right.
So, we have just accepted that
‘Success = Happiness, Happiness = Success’.
More Happiness = More Success. No Happiness = No Success.
But this equation is absurd and wrong. Here me out.
The real Success has nothing to do with Happiness or pleasure. In fact, it is only a success when there is neither happiness nor sadness.
Let me explain:
Happiness and Sadness, Pleasure and Pain are fundamentally same.
There can be no happiness without sadness and vice versa right.
They seem like opposites but spiritually, they’re equal.
What is on the other side then, you may ask ?
It is Joy.
Joy is precious, rare and extremely expensive phenomenon.
You can get happiness cheaply but not Joy.
Joy, you feel when you’re on that stage of awareness on which neither pleasure nor pain matters to you anymore.
They become such tiny and worthless that you can hardly care at all, for the Joy is such an incredible state of mind.
“
Spend time in a way that destroys your bondages, exposes your falseness and rids you of illusions
“
– Acharya Prashant
Similarly, Success is only when you reach that stage of Joy.
The goal that you’re working towards must be giant and worthy enough to dedicate your life towards, that by being just in the process of attempting, you become fulfilled.
You can hardly care about the tiny wins or losses you might suffer.
Just think for a second, You’re on your way to Climb Mount Everest, the goal is to reach the top.
Would you celebrate after passing each piece of rock?
Would you get hopeless after slipping down 2 inches?
You’ve got the Mount Everest to climb, you can care less what’s happening at each step.
Likewise, when you’re so drowned in the pursuit of the biggest goal you can ever imagine that will clearly take more than one lifetime to complete, you just cannot give 2 cents about wins or losses.
And that is the true Success.
Terms Happiness and Sadness have become so tiny for your attention, the only thing that you care for is the Joy and that’s it.
So, this is why your equation of Happiness and Success is wrong.
“
Get used to endure pain. Without getting hurt, there is no progress
“
– Acharya Prashant
Now comes the question, will there be always wins while you’re in the Enjoyment. Absolutely Not.
You’ll clearly fall flat on your face countless times but the good news is you’ll always get back and start again even stronger.
You can never live like this in pursuit of Personal, petty, tiny goal.
It is a completely different way of living where you’re not living to possess, you’re living to be shredded away, one thread at a time.
“
Arise, awake, stop not till the goal is reached
“
– Swami Vivekananda
People measure their growth; how much they have achieved,
You measure your reduction; how much you no longer exist.
People wish to hoard till their last breath,
You wish to give away till your last breath.
They are a completely different breed of people who can achieve such attitude in life. However, it is also not impossible to lead such life.
It takes a Worthy Challenge. Not any regular kind that we usually aspire to achieve.
A challenge so big that it will benefit people, all the species, the Planet, Universe and Cosmos.
That’s why there has been only one Buddha, one Jesus, one Krishna.
