Spiritual Goal Achievement

September 29th, 2009

Whilst reading through Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle and Lao Tzus
Tao Te Ching recently, I noticed that not only did some of the teaching apply spiritually but alot of them were universal truths that could be applied to goal setting.

Either take action or accept what you can’t change
(How often each day, if you were to verbalize your inner reality at that moment, would you have to say,”I don’t want to be where I am”? – Stillness Speaks)
Either accept/surrender or take action, all else is madness. Think about it, why do we constantly complain about things? It’s because we don’t agree with what is happening. We can put our fullest effort into going after a goal but if we fail, its the effort that matters, there is no ultimate control, the only control you have is over your own actions. If something happens that you cannot change, for example, something that happened in the past, see that you’re holding onto fear and surrender to the fact that it happened.

You are not your mind, body, name or profession
(The human condition:lost in thought – Stillness Speaks)
You are the continuous awareness behind your mind and body. How could you be your mind or body when they are in a constant state of change, you are still the same person you were when you were born. Don’t identify with your thoughts or get annoyed at yourself if your body is less than your ideal. If you identify with your thoughts you simply see others as a means to your goals which is an ineffective strategy anyway. Never try to associate yourself with something when you know it will change over time, don’t say “I’m an excellent investor” because if you make one decision incorrectly, you feel unworthy.

Constant wanting is a bad thing
(The mind in incessantly looking not only for food for thought; it is looking for food for its identity – Stillness Speaks)
The ego runs the lives of almost all people on the planet, identification with mind and body is the root of all suffering. Set goals and go out to acheive them but realise that none of them will fill a hole inside of you. Don’t look outside for your troubles, look inside and realise that…

The present moment is all that we have
(This one moment – now – is the only thing you can never escape from – Stillness Speaks)
Has it ever been yesterday or tomorrow? No, life is a stream of “this moment”. When you live totally in the present moment you become highly aware and totally immersed in what you’re doing, commonly known as the state of “flow”. Coming into a state of flow improves your concentration massively which helps if you have to work at something for a long period of constant time in going after a goal. Living presently also helps you free yourself from your past mistakes which give you limiting beliefs. Stop living in the past which is a memory and the future which is a projection of the mind.

Nothing is separate
(The ego structure leads to so there is “me” against the “other,” “us” against “them” – Stillness Speaks)
We are all one and helping another is helping yourself, realise this and your intentions and actions towards others will be pure and helping others is one of the best ways to acheive your goals, cooperation and filling others needs. There is no competition, you are both (or should be) trying to provide the most value possible. Also recognise that you are not the only person in the universe and maybe your goals wont always be acheived, the greater good always comes first.

Everything is in a state of change
(”Names can name no lasting names” – Tao Te Ching)
You may achieve a goal but maintenance is necessary. And even then, you have to admit to yourself that nothing is constant and will remain forever.

Death is a natural thing
(”Death is not an anomaly or the most dreadful of all events as modern culture would have you believe, but the most natural thing in the world” – Stillness Speaks.)
Death is the most ntural thing that can happen, how can you be norn without dying, it’s a cycle. You were never really “given” life, you never possessed it, so how can it be taken from you? Death is the ultimate of deadlines, it cuts all the crappy goals from your life and leaves you with the important ones, it’s also a huge motivator.

Books Mentioned in this article: (affiliate links)
Stillness Speaks
Tao Te Ching