All too often, people pursue a vision of material success at the expense of the other aspects of their beingness. In fact, our current culture is so plagued with this narrowness of vision, so focused on the material, that the soul of our society is in danger of being lost.

Corporate CEOs sacrifice ethics and integrity in pursuit of profits and personal gain. Politicians sacrifice honesty and compassion in pursuit of control and power. Individuals sacrifice accountability and self-actualization in pursuit of comfort and security.

Success is commonly equated with attainment, acquisition, accomplishment and achievement.

This is natural. It is a part of the very nature of human beings to reach for the goals of doing and having more. Without this drive, it is unlikely that we would have evolved to the point that we have. Without this drive, mediocrity would be the norm.

However, there is a higher vision. It is harmony. Harmony is beyond having and doing. It is about being.

In this higher vision of success, the goal is the concordance or agreement of all aspects of one?s beingness.

The more evolved human being endeavors to establish and realize ideals in all aspects of their beingness.

Material and Financial:
Success in this aspect of self equates to the havingness (attainments, achievements, acquisitions and accomplishments) that most people associate with success.

Physical and Environmental:
Success in this aspect of self equates to having the health, vitality and well-being of body, home and world.

Emotional and Relationship:
Success in this aspect of self equates to having happiness, compassion and social responsibility.

Mental and Educational:
Success in this aspect of self equates to having a continuous intellectual growth and expansion of consciousness.

Spiritual and Ethical:
Success in this aspect of self equates to having defined purpose and values, and to having the recognition of the unity and sacredness of all things.

Real success is the havingness of harmony in all these areas of one?s life.

Before one can ?have? anything, it is necessary to do or act. Therefore, in order to have harmony in all aspects of self, you must act harmoniously. You must do the things that lead to harmony.

Before you can do anything, you must first be. Therefore, in order to act harmoniously so that you can have harmony in your life, you must first be in harmony with all aspects of self and with the world you inhabit.

True success, then, begins and ends with learning to be in harmony, in tune with, in accord with, in concord with, in agreement with all aspects of self and with all creation.

Success is not forsaking the spiritual for the material. It is also not forsaking the material for the spiritual. Success is, like all creation, a holistic thing of beauty and balance, concordance, harmony.

Back when I went to school, the marking of success was ?c? for average, ?b? for better than average, ?a? for good and ?h? for excellent or the honor roll.

In the school of life, you can set your sights on getting a grade of straight ?A?s and focus on the Attainments, Acquisitions, Accomplishments and Achievements or you can go for the highest mark, the ?H? of the honor roll and focus on Harmony.

As always, the choice is yours to make.