Here’s a very interesting question from a student due to this previous post:
“If you don’t use charisma and magnetism to attain the highest level of worldly achievements then what is the point of charisma and magnetism? To me, if charisma and magnetism aren’t used to reach the highest levels of material success, power and wealth then it pointless.
You should discard materialism altogether. You should become a monk working on spiritual goals instead.
What could be the use of charisma and magnetism if you don’t use it for either? You don’t use it to reach the highest level of materialism, nor do you use it to reach the highest level of spiritual awakening.”
I know that, particularly in our modern times, we value achievement.
Wealth is considered one of the pinnacle of achievements. We admire someone who has a big house, a supercar and a trophy wife. And if we dedicate ourselves to a spiritual life we better *achieve* enlightenment and be the biggest buddha that ever lived.
But it doesn’t have to be one or another.
In fact, you can choose NOT to live seeking achievements.
For example, my old teacher lived in a (very) modest house in rural Italy spent most of his day painting and taking care of his few animals and small farm. He wasn’t the *best* painter or the *best* farmer. But he lived his life according to his own terms. He chose what he wanted to do, and lived that way.
The pursuit for the highest level of achievements (whether material richness or higher spiritual goals) always have a big cost. And not all of us want to pay that cost.
Magnetism can simply be a way to live the way you want to live – as simple as that may be – or it can be a way to push forward to a highest level of achievements.
Most of the times it’s something in the middle. What you want to do with it it’s of course a personal choice, and hopefully, a conscious one.
Why would you need magnetism then?
Because more often than not, even living a simple life according to our own terms is not easy in our modern world. Both due to internal pressures as well as external… and magnetism gives you the strength and ability to pursue what you want to pursue, regardless if it’s a simple life or a life filled with achievements.
