“Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position or prestige, but in goodness, humility, service and character.”
– William Arthur Ward
Imagine if you had to go up and introduce yourself to God – how would you describe yourself?
Would you say “God I am the person who works as a vice president in a big corporation, I drive an expensive car, I have a beautiful house on the beach and most of all I am the one who has that enviable collection of Rolex watches”?
Probably not!
Instead you would likely say – “God I am a really good, kind and compassionate human being. I have tried very hard to embody your values in my life, and while I may not have achieved all of them perfectly, I want you to know that I gave it my best.”
Similarly, many times in life we make the mistake of letting our possessions define us. We identify ourselves with our house, our car, our wealth or our jobs, and if we were to lose any one of these, we become heart-broken and directionless.
We forget that all these things are temporary and hence destructible. They do not stand the test of time. Instead they merely serve to limit us. “Me and mine” become the biggest barriers in cultivating the feeling of oneness and harmony with not only our inner selves but also with the rest of humanity.
So choose to stand for something solid. Let the eternal life giving principles define who you are as a person – principles that will stand the test of time, like love, honesty, generosity, uprightness and truth. Make these enduring spiritual values your signature, instead of a designer purse or handbag.
