For years, success was a bar that other people held up for me. Success was whatever so-and-so had achieved... and why wasn’t I there yet? In my journey with Kundalini Yoga, I have cultivated a much healthier relationship with the nature of success.
Here are five things that have recently helped me to feel more successful (and way happier!) in my life:
1. Give Up Comparisons:
Success is a completely personal experience. It cannot be measured in ounces, inches, or dollars. The things that make me feel accomplished and happy might make you laugh, and vice versa. Also, you cannot reasonably compare your internal experience to someone else, because you are not experiencing their experience while you do it. If you have ever thought someone else was excelling at something faster than you, know that that is just your superficial assessment of the situation. Rarely do we realize what people have gone through to become who they are... and we cannot, being that we are not them! It is simply not fair to anyone to compare. It is, as they say, like comparing apples and oranges.
2. Claim Your Uniqueness:
This brings me to the next point: we are all perfectly unique. This lifetime is an opportunity for you to grow into the fullness of YOU, and for me to grow into the fullness of ME. There has never been, there is not now, and there never will be another human being whose successful life will look the same as yours. You came to create you! And I cannot wait to see what that is!
3. Success Can Be Quiet:
We live is a culture of super star-worship. It’s brainwashed most of us to think that our success much be noticed (preferably by millions of people!) in order to count. Yogically, this is simply ridiculous. The only feedback that will ever matter, ultimately, comes from your own soul, which is in Union with God. That is one important audience, which you will never let down... no matter what you do!
In the words of Yogi Bhajan:
“Remember, Creator watches over you, and creation is ready to serve you if you just be you! So please take away the ghost of your life and stop chasing round. Consolidate. Concentrate. Be You. And may all the peace, and peaceful environments, prosperity, approach you forever.”
4. Embrace “Failure”:
In a sense, failure does not exist. Every so-called failure I have ever made has led where I am now, which, I feel, is a pretty successful chain of events! Of course, there are choices that will have you walking the path of your Destiny quicker, and those that will have you taking the scenic route. Yet, nothing we do is for naught. Everything can be raw material for success if we allow for it. So whenever “failure” happens”, exclaim “fateh!” (pron. Fuh-teh), or “victory!” Because, if you learn something, that is certain victory!
5. Practice Patience and Yoga (Daily!):
In order to bloom like the perfect and unique flower of God that you are, you must accept that you can only successful at being you. So much of Kundalini Yoga is about experiencing what that means. It will help you develop an intimate relationship with your soul, which you need in order to live out your Destiny. When you are living out our Destiny—doing what you came here to do—you cannot help feeling that your life is successful.
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Encouraging words, Sirgun! I need to put into practice all the items, specially the first one. I have to stop comparing myself to others!! I always think I’m inferior because I cannot bear to be in a pose for more than 1 minute… So, as other yogis can be much more time in poses like stretch pose, I compare myself to them, and think I’m inferior… My resolution from now on is to be more careful with this. Sat nam!
Thanks Sirgun…
I would add one that I have been working around recently… It comes from a significant quote that Yogi Bhajan left us which I love:
“If you are willing to look at another person’s behavior toward you as a reflection of the state of their relationship with themselves rather than a statement about your value as a person, then you will, over a period of time cease to react at all.” ~Yogi Bhajan
6. Success is not reacting any longer to the things that you normally would react to.
Sat Nam.
Sat Nam Karam Prem – Indeed, measuring ourselves up against other people is a good thing to drop. A miracle occurs when we are able to apply this even ONCE! Our life is our life’s work, after all. =)
Fateh Singh – Thanks Fateh! I love that quote.