September 20, 2005 at 11:20:32 p.m.
As the year winds down, it is natural for us to take a look back to see what progress we have made over the past twelve months. Quite often that view is not very encouraging. We don’t see our paychecks growing as rapidly as we want; our relationships seem to be stuck in some kind of emotional pothole; free time appears to be less free as well as less available and, in general, the past year often looks like a repeat of the same struggles we had in the previous year.
Evaluating personal progress is a lot more difficult than it seems. In the first place we are too close to the trees to see the forest, and an honest evaluation demands that we place ourselves at an impersonal position in order to avoid a distorted view. In the second place we almost always use the wrong yardsticks to make our measurements. We insist on using material goals as counterweights on our scale. These goals are often set by society or the business world and seldom reflect our true personal directions or aims. These human/material goals force us into believing that we have failed-or succeeded-in relation to the standards they represent. We accept this relationship as a measure of personal progress. The end result is often disappointing, as well as depressing.
Real progress is not measurable by human standards because those standards are man-made and subject to change. If the rules of the game are subject to constant change, then what chance do you have of coming out a winner? Progress, if it is to be an honest measurement, must be made against a stable and reliable base line. That line will never be found in society or in business. It can only be found on a Universal level and only within us, not outside us.
Each of us possesses a clear and distinct “quality level.” This level has nothing to do with the world around us, but rather is a spiritual measurement based on the self-discipline and knowledge acquired from our awareness and use of the opportunities that life presents to us. Our use of these opportunities and our belief in our personal power, is the only true measurement of how far we have progressed.
The quality of life is measured by the belief we have in ourselves, not by our bank account or the name on the office door. Progress is the manifestation of that self belief. It is the inner joy and harmony we feel with ourselves. It is the self-love we exhibit in our daily activities. It is the abundance we embrace as a natural, Universal gift. And, it is the internal personal power that we recognize and accept as co-creators with the omnipotent and infinite Universe.
It is the recognition of these personal qualities that lay out the yardstick by which we can measure our true progress. To believe otherwise is to continue our life’s journey as if we were blind, seeking a way out of the forest. As you look back over the year, see what standards you are measuring yourself against. The world, and its system of measurement, will surely give you a point of reference. But just remember that you are in this world, not of this world and in the final analysis, where you end up is not necessarily the measurement of how much you have developed. – GT