As soon as we hear the word “success,” the first thing that comes to mind is the concept of what a successful person is like. Many of us think being successful is about material gain, having a lot of money, and having numerous achievements. We think success is equal to wealth.

From the Tao point of view, I want to say that true success is feeling and sharing the Wealth of Joy all the time. A successful person is someone who is in touch with him/herself and expresses his/her genuine heart to people consistently.

Success is the abundance of loving energy that overflows from inside one person to others. They are not afraid of going within themselves to face fear or find what’s limiting them. They are not afraid to be vulnerable and honest and to share their hearts. It takes courage and strength to show vulnerability. It’s about being emotionally rich and having a heart that is open to sharing.

A person who knows where they are heading will continuously awaken to who they truly are, is clear about their purpose, and grow themself by sharing. And growth is not necessarily measured by material success. Whether a person has a lot of money or not, they can share their energy of Love, which is not limited to certain groups of people but includes everyone. This means they have a bright spirit. Success is measured by the people who gather around them to do something that is greater than themselves. This is a success that is achieved by sharing their mind and heart with others for the common purpose of benefiting all people.

So what’s the difference between a person who’s only focused on being cash-rich versus a person who is successful in terms of having a bright mind? There is a major difference.

The person who’s wealthy in terms of possessions only is motivated by his ego and interested in personal gain without consideration for others. They gather wealth without awakening to who they truly are. They can cause a lot of harm to others because they (ego) feel separated from other people and the whole. And because they are separated from the whole, their concept of abundance is achieving personal material success to create their own value, and they measure their value by how much money and how many things they have.

But the awakened person’s wealth comes from the soul. Their destination is not a monetary success, which is merely a process of their journey, but it is “completion,” which will create harmony and peace within and all around. It means living for a greater purpose than themself. The person has a realization that they are a part of the whole and considers all humanity as One. Because the person is motivated by their true nature, they do things that help others to be awakened and act for the betterment of humanity.

When your life is lead by your true nature, your soul, you can utilize monetary wealth to create lasting peace on Earth and to benefit all people. When you feel the abundance of Love in your heart from your Soul, you will share the Wealth of Joy with the World.