Achievement elevates humankind.

Achievement in itself is always desirable. It is the nature of achievement at the expense of another which is not according to God’s desires. True achievement is the elevation of some aspect of humankind, not of one person. Competition in your life as an individual or as a group should be viewed as a test between collective mediocrity and collective success. It can be viewed as a realization of potential rather than the recognition of potential. True competition, therefore, involves a cooperative effort rather than individual achievement.

Perhaps you have experienced times in your life when you worked with others for what you perceived to be a common good, and you saw that effort fail. Your competition was between the possibility of failure and the realization of success. The failure which you experience may not always be a failure in reality, for failure is often the result of misplaced perceptions.

Looked at another way, if you think back to events in which you believed you were unsuccessful, reexamine those events carefully and you shall find achievement. You shall find some benefit which has arisen from your efforts. You may have to look carefully and for a long time, but all efforts aimed at a collective improvement are successful in some way. The competition was there, but your perception of achievement was not directed appropriately.

In your earthly life, and by “you” we mean all humankind, there is too much pressure or competition at the expense of others. You must remember that God perceives each of you as complete equals. There are none who are better than others. The competition which engages so many of you is vain and empty in God’s eyes. In your daily life, continually search for ways of elevating others. Emphasize common grounds of achievement, of needs, so that the bonds between all of you become strengthened in love. When love is present, one rejoices at the accomplishments of another. Neither individual stands on a higher platform.