Completion
By Phil on Mar. 13, 2009.
Article selected by: Ilchi Lee
The third central value is what I call “completion.” Completion is different from perfection. Perfection, as a state that describes the absence of faults, uses comparison and evaluation as evidence of its being. Completion is a wholeness that includes both perfection and imperfection. Completion trumps competition every time and creates a game, not of winners and losers, but of winners and winners.
Success is a relative term; it is a state of being as judged by and compared to others. Success can be achieved through money and fame; however, completion can only be achieved when you know and achieve your mission in life. Competition is necessary for success, but completion does not require competition. Only the winner may drink from the cup of victory in competition; in completion, everyone has his or her own victory cup. The road to success is paved with competition; the road to completion is paved with mutual assistance.
Prof Ilchi lee writes that if we accept completion as the primary purpose of life, in place of perfection or success, we have suddenly created a new context within which to decide how to manifest our highest self. Seeking to manifest ourselves as a “perfect” person will cause us to strive in one way, while seeking to manifest ourselves as a “complete” person will create entirely different behaviors.
We will no longer judge our lives by the relative measure of success in competition, but by the absolute value of completion. Completion will be the eternal goal of our new found lives. Completion rejects nothing, least of all material success. The difference is that we manage material things towards this inclusive vision, rather than using or accumulating material objects to achieve an imaginary state of faultlessness. Living a life moving toward completion will produce the epitome of both spiritual and material success, both for the individual and humanity as a whole.
Category: Ilchi Lee