Success(?)
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Daily Meditation #209–9/19/2022
I recently saw my first Lamborghini. It felt like a special occasion to have the opportunity to see the rare and elegant machine.
Though I didn’t meet the owner, one must wonder:
What, really, is a Lamborghini (or Maserati, Aston Martin, or Porsche) except a symbol of success?
While true, it is part of the symbolism, what good is such a symbol if you must use it to drive to a career you hate?
What is all the success in the world worth?
What could be the cost?
If your “success” is measured only in substantive wealth and material possessions, your soul may’ve been the cost.
Financial wellness truly is a core tenet of YouDaimonia. It is because of the securing, stabilizing effect it has on your life. Being able to pay all your bills, have some cushion, and the ability to afford accidents, investments, and treats really does wonders for one’s mental health.
However, Eudaimonia itself is a balancing act.
Physical wellness.
Relationship wellness.
Spirituality.
Financial wellness.
They all brace one another much as four walls do. If one is missing or one bears too much load, the overall structure suffers.
So, absolutely pursue success. Ensure you define what it looks like for you not only in the goals but also in the ethics and systems you use to achieve it.
And…
Be wary that you don’t “cost yourself your soul” to get things you want.
For in lust for great possessions, one often must sacrifice their spirituality, as no spirituality — whether it’s Jesus, Zen, or others — can share power with things of the world.
Go forth.
Achieve great things.
Be overflowing with gratitude.
Conscientious of your fragile mortality.
Cling to no thing overmuch and love others greatly.
Follow for daily philosophical meditations.
These are distillations from my coming book “YouDaimonia: the Ancient Philosophy of Human Flourishing.”
