We are the convergence of the whole universe. We all have a great need for immensity.
Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan
What is it really all about, this rushing around for success, when our souls are always infinitely guiding us toward the realization of our own immensity? Did you know that you cannot realize success anywhere but inside? As within, so without.
Yes, that is true. It is not simply a saying, it is true. Unless you are at peace with yourself, you will never feel the glow of real embodied success, that builds on itself, and spurs you from a deep place inside. In fact, true success is when you can let your soul lead the way.
The ambition of the ego and that of the soul are very different, and yet we need the ego to 
carry on, since most of us don’t live in monastic settings where we can surrender all material concerns. Mother Theresa, Ghandi, Martin Luther King—-they had ambition that was aligned with their soul’s deepest yearning for compassion, peace, freedom. They allowed their souls to lead the way.
Here is an exert from a book I have co-written, called The Art and Science of Success:
“True success may at times include great financial abundance, and at other times, barely getting by if that is what will be your best teacher to learn humility and rekindle faith. Success is not ‘out there,’ but right inside each and every one of us. I believe true success means that you are living in a way that benefits others. If it is all for you…well, that is another quality called greed. Ultimately, I believe when we act for the benefit of others, we open the door to abundance in a way that can never be achieved if we are only going for the money.
The idea of success for most people revolves around money or the acquisition of possessions. I consider a state of joy and a good-feeling body a great achievement of success as well. When I work with people, we focus on the Sacred, Sexy and Sovereign aspects of their lives, which in essence is about Purpose, Pleasure and Power. All three must be on your radar screen and consciously faced each day.
The single most important key in achieving success is to be who you are. Each one of us had our own unique perspective on life. This is where we must start, and because we are taught that we need this degree or that training or these connections to be successful, then go looking outside of ourselves, when our very greatest gift is to offer what we have learned as ourselves.
So, step one is to clear away whatever is in the way of feeling fully comfortable being who you are. Wherever you have not done that, you are likely to sabotage your success.
The next step is to get crystal clear what you stand for. Ask what makes you mad or breaks your heart, and what you can do to make that better.
The next step is to formulate your vision. Without a vision, you have no direction. When I keep my focus on my vision, I avoid being stopped by things I don’t know how to do or achieve in the moment.
The final step is to get the guidance you need and keep going. None of us can be successful alone. We must be willing to put our money where our mouth is, and never quit, ever.
I have worked with thousands of people, and learned that there are some people who allow obstacles to stop them, and others who use challenges to stoke their fire. The ability to reach down into yourself and get clear about what you stand for when the going gets rough is one of the greatest qualities of true leadership. This is tied to being able to have a vision that guides you.
A leader is one who has a vision and the commitment to stay the course, and the ability to inspire others.
My favorite quote on success is from he Scottish explorer W. H. Murray:
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way”
This speaks to me because it describes how we co-create with invisible forces, and how there is a point where we must relinquish all doubt and go for broke, if we are to succeed.”
Relinquish all doubt. Do you know what that means? You let go of fear. You step into certainty. You become fully present.
As Abraham says, “The standard of success in life isn't the things. It isn't the money or the stuff. It is absolutely the amount of joy that you feel.”
You feel the greatest joy when you let your soul lead the way. There is nothing quite like it!
