In “The Creative Visualization Workbook” by Shakti Gawain, she prompts the question, “what are the things you’ve done successfully?” When I thought a bit deeper, I kinda changed the question in my mind to, “as you lay on your death bed, what are the things you’ve done successfully?” What would you like that to be?

“Ok, let me think…appreciate the earth and its peoples, give and receive big love, stare at the night sky, soak in the sensation of awe, laugh from deep inside my belly, surround myself in community, friendships, and family. Take risks, make mistakes, become wise, share wisdom, dance, make art, establish peace within my being, immerse myself in a foreign culture, make an effort to leave the earth a little bit better than when I came in…”

What I think you’ll find too, is that when you think about the entirety of your life, the most important markers of success are readily available, or more so than you previously imagined.

“Rachel, you gotta make something of yourself!” What does that even mean? Is that what I came here to do? When I lay on my death bed, I’d like to be at peace knowing that I came here, and I loved.

Money seems to be the conventional, representative measure of success, by means of income, social status, material possessions, physicality, and so on. Of course, we need these things to a degree, but if you don’t possess the internal peace-of-mind to enjoy the things, then there’s no point in having them.

Real success, and real power is well rounded with internal rewards, by means of inner peace, being loved and respected, spirituality, emotional openness, positive self-concept, and the ability to utilize personal values to enhance the quality of everyday life, both for yourself and others 🙂