Pondering Over Life's Purpose: Wealth Accumulation as a Goal?
In a world where success is often equated with wealth, fame, and personal achievement, the Baha'i Faith offers a unique and refreshing perspective. This ancient religion, founded in the 19th century, defines success primarily in spiritual and service-oriented terms.
According to Baha'i teachings, each individual should consider their purpose for being on this planet based on the Baha'i teachings. This purpose is rooted in serving the general good and promoting civilization and the arts of living. True, lasting happiness is spiritually attained through spiritual activities like prayer, service, and detachment from outcomes.
The Baha'is believe that people will be considered successful if they spend their days fulfilling their purpose by serving human society in any way they can. This view contrasts sharply with contemporary societal views on success, which often prioritize material accomplishments, social status, wealth, and personal gratification.
Key distinctions between the Baha'i view of success and contemporary societal views are evident in several aspects. The core measure of success, for instance, is spiritual growth, service to humanity, and virtue for the Baha'is, while it is wealth, status, and personal achievement in contemporary society.
The relationship to outcomes also differs significantly. The Baha'is advocate for detachment from results, trusting God's will, while contemporary society often focuses on outcomes and tangible results. The basis for fulfillment also varies, with the Baha'is finding it in alignment with divine guidance, contributing to unity and peace, while contemporary society finds it in personal satisfaction, comfort, and social recognition.
The Baha'i approach to success also emphasizes finding growth and springs of wisdom in difficulty, a stark contrast to contemporary society, where setbacks and hardships are often seen as failures.
The Baha'i teachings also challenge the notion that poverty is a negative state. In fact, the Baha'i writings state that poverty is a wondrous gift, and that being poor in all but God is valuable. This perspective challenges the materialistic focus of contemporary society, which often equates success with access to material possessions, awards, and recognition.
This redefinition of success has significant implications, particularly for the youth. Judging success solely by these material measures has detrimental impacts on society, as it can cause people to sacrifice time and neglect their true selves in pursuit of personal success.
The speaker, a young adult who desires to contribute to their community and better the world, is on a journey to prioritize spirituality over material outcomes. They have experienced firsthand how the material standard has affected their creativity and satisfaction in life by focusing on outcomes rather than the process of service.
The Baha'i teachings do not necessarily imply that one should never acquire wealth or fame, but that spiritual progress should not be neglected. The speaker is learning to balance these two aspects, understanding that serving humanity is one of the main reasons for existence, alongside knowing and worshiping God.
In conclusion, the Baha'i Faith offers a compelling alternative to contemporary societal views on success. By redefining success as spiritual growth, service to humanity, and alignment with God's will, the Baha'i Faith encourages individuals to prioritize inner transformation and service to others over external validation or material gain. This perspective, if adopted widely, could lead to a more compassionate, united, and spiritually fulfilled society.
In this context of redefining success, personal finance and wealth-management should not be the primary focus but rather secondary, serving as tools for personal-growth and personal-finance education-and-self-development, ensuring one's ability to serve humanity effectively and spiritually grow. Conversely, wealth, fame, and personal-achievement should not be the sole measures of success, but rather indicators of one's spiritual and service-oriented progress in the Baha'i Faith.
