The Power of Now:Aha Moment #9: Failing at outer purpose and succeeding with inner purpose

From the outside looking in, it looks as though I have failed on my outer purpose. It looks as though my college education was a waste because I haven't accomplished that much or made as much money as I could have doing something else. For years this bothered me because I felt like it proved that I wasn't enough. I was insecure, self conscious, frustrated, and complained about it.

Now I understand that I am the furthest thing from a failure because I am building myself from the inside out. These past 10 years or so since I graduated from college I've been on this sacred journey of discovery and building my self worth and value from the inside/out. I didn't have the outer trappings of success to validate my existence. My validation comes not from worldly pursuits but from the knowledge of who I am.

Our society teaches people that they must build themselves up from the outside through money, status, and accomplishment. Those things don't give a person value and yet people will do anything to get those things.  They may succeed at getting it but they experience what Tolle calls outer riches and inner poverty. He then says it's the same thing as what Jesus calls Gaining the whole world and losing your soul.

It simply isn't worth it

You always hear people say if I had more money I would be so much happier and then you see the rich people who have it all and they are miserable! Money, accomplishment, and status will never give you fulfillment. It's the inner purpose that will fulfill you.

I also believe that when you have an outside/in mindset you will attract the wrong types of people into your Life. If your pursuit is materialism and stuff, then you will attract people who value the shallow and superficial. when you get in trouble and the material things and stuff are gone so are they.  These people are the life drainers, soul suckers, and I think they love you to death and destruction.

If your pursuit is inner purpose, then you will attract people who value what's beyond the surface. It's not about material things, stuff, and all that. It's about what's inside of you. A superficial would not be able to see the God in you, call out the good stuff, and help love you to life.

I always say there's something different about People who are married with purpose. Happily married is to shallow of a term for it. Those married people with purpose have this confidence about themselves and they are always growing and getting better as human beings.  I believe being in a relationship that's secure and not based on shallow nonsense is going to make you a better person. If you're with someone who is constantly calling out the good in you and building you up to believe you can do what You've been called to do, how can you not believe you're really doing something!

On the other hand being with someone who does nothing but put you down and makes you feel worse about yourself will not make you any better and further erode your value and self esteem. These people are not loved enough and of course they don't think they're enough.

I think that's why selfish ambition in relationships is so deadly. The bible says that where there is selfish ambition There is evil doing of every kind. If your entire relationship is about your agenda, then you will be so busy pursuing your agenda that won't have any time to love your partner the way you should.

It's all about you! These types of marriages tend to fall apart quickly or descend into misery quickly. It's usually one person giving up their life for the person who is bent on selfish ambition and that ends up festering into resentment and ultimately bitterness.

If you know your inner purpose then perhaps you're less likely to get involved in these superficial soul killing relationships because you know that no matter how good it may look on the outside, it's simply not worth it to lose your purpose, calling, and mission!