Success is an Outreach of Love
Success should not be passive or self centered. It should be an outreach. I wish I could reach my twenty year old self. I can't. But maybe I can reach someone else.
These are some of the things I would tell myself:
Your dreams matter.
Dreams take work.
Follow your curiosity.
The world is more fascinating that you realize.
Look diligently for resources in order to learn.
Find people to connect with that have a similar desire.
Learn what wisdom is, and seek it.
Believe in yourself.
You are not alone.
Everything we need is available to us, but we don't necessarily know that. That's why success is an outreach. It is one person reaching out to another person. It is humbly sharing: “Here are some things I have discovered.”
I would also say that our dreams and making a living don't necessarily go together, although it is quite possible. Having a desire to be compensated for my devotion can be a hindrance to my progress and peace. I walk this line. I have to constantly resist the notion of wanting to get paid for what I do (but I don't rule it out). What’s more important is following my curiosity, wherever it leads. Secondly, I want the benefits of following my curiosity to enrich others as well. Following my curiosity and enriching others is a win win.
Then there’s the time issue. I don’t like the sentiment of "Hurry, act now! You have a limited amount of time!" That is very popular nowadays. I would rather focus on filling my days with following my curiosity about the things that fascinate me. Then we naturally say "I wish I had more time! There are so many things to explore! I need multiple lifetimes!" Yes. I hear you. That's revelation. You get it. Amen!
Beloved, in the day-to-day life of existence it is easy to forget that we are living on a mysterious planet in the midst of a mysterious universe. We might not find any answers or solve world problems but there is an unlimited buffet of knowledge and experiences before us that are worthy of our investigation. They are worthy of our curiosity. And in seeking out this mysterious world of possibilities we just might discover something that means the world to us. And the act of sharing what we discover might mean the world to someone else.
Follow your dreams. Follow your bliss. Follow your curiosity. Share what you find.
To your success!