I called this Xmas insight because it's just that, this morning I was running on the beach and ruminating on life in general and spiritual life and difficulties in particular.
Specifically, my thought went to great, huge talents, like Dalì or Picasso or Van Gogh in painting, Fitzgerald in writing, Mozart or McCoy Tyner or volodos in music, Perelman in mathematics, Gates and Jobs in IT and so on.
They are all individuals whose lives have been focused, incarnation after incarnation, on a specific purpose, pursuing the target of technical excellence and genial intuition throughout history.
The exact correspondent of such individuals who pursued wordly goals are the great Avatars and saints in the spiritual field. They relentlessly pursued, thru the centuries, their one minded dedication to seeking Truth and the absolute spirit.
Now, let's think how difficult (actually, short of impossible) is to become like the great talents and geniuses of the wordly arena.
Similar difficulties are encountered to become one of the illuminated souls.
Bottom line, if we still are modest souls, do no let's discouraged, I do not get discouraged if I'm not able to solve a millennium problem like Grigori Perelman did, or if I'm not able to play like McCoy Tyner or if I couldn't get as rich as Warren Buffet.
Likewise, I don't get discouraged if I don't have the powers of St. Padre Pio or the spiritual stature of Yogananda, Amma or the other great saints. I simply trudge along trying to do my best with the world ever trying to impinge.
Keep trudging mccoy your buddies are close behind! You're fortunate to have the beach... i have a big park with streams and places to meditate in the woods. I'm going to go jogging there and set in the beauty of nature and pray for you and friends here at spiritual portal.
One point that comes to mind here is that you are mentioning people in the top of their field. I believe we often do this and fail to recognize we are making progress in our individual efforts. Over the years I have found this to be necessary. That is to be kind to ourselves and others in our individual efforts and achievements---Recognizing that 'Rome wasn't conquered in a day.'
