Before we discuss the factors that come into play that account for great accomplishment in life, let's discuss different level of accomplishment that an individual can accomplish at. From our experience, we have observed that there are four fundamental levels at which an individual can accomplish -- survival, growth, development, and evolution.
Survival Living at the survival level one has a conscious or unconscious desire to remain at the current level of achievement in life. There is no attempt to rise above one's current achievement, nor is there an effort to raise one's own personal capacities. There is neither a quantitative expansion at one's current level of life, let alone a qualitative movement to a potential higher level.
A real world example of accomplishment at the level of survival is an instructor who has achieved a degree of success that keeps him comfortable, has a defined set of skills, and has no desire, or makes no effort, to acquire more work or perhaps even update his skills to be current to the present needs of his students.
Growth, on the other hand, is an expansion of one's current level of achievement. For example improving on a skill, expanding knowledge in a field or another field at the same level, and earning more through greater effort are each expressions of growth. You are accomplishing more, but it is more at the same level. It is a horizontal expansion at the same level of capacity and achievement; i.e. an expansion of one's current level of achievement.
To accomplishment at the level of growth, the instructor would learn the latest versions of the current programs he is teaching, and seek out work with other companies to teach the same things he has been teaching in the past. He would be aspiring for more of the same work.
Development is an expansion to a higher level of achievement. One may acquire a new or higher level skill, accept and implement a higher personal value, change a negative personal attitude into a positive attitude, acquire a higher order of knowledge, develops a new faith in life, or in general respond from a higher center than one's current level of development and consciousness. These are all expressions of personal development. In all these instances, you are accomplishing at a higher level, not merely more at the same level. Thus, we say that it is a vertical expansion to a new level of capacity and achievement.
In our real world example at the level of development our instructor could have an aspiration to teach whole new subjects that are outside of his normal curricula, make contact with new types of clients so he can teach these courses, write a book on the topic of this new area, change a few personal attitudes in his life (such as attitudes towards his superiors), or decide to more fully implement in his work a value that he already cherishes, such as the value that students should come away with real knowledge in his classroom, rather than mere satisfaction of the experience.
Evolution is an elevation of one's being to a whole new higher plane of consciousness and status of being. For example, an emotional individual could shift from the state where his desires and attachments predominate to becoming a person of more refined or higher emotions; or move from being a predominantly emotional person to becoming a more mental and thoughtful person whose life shifts from one of emotional intensity to thoughtfulness. Perhaps the individual rises to acquiring spiritual capacities, such as the ability to experience knowledge as illuminations of light or intuition, or to find his personal evolving soul.
In these instances, you are accomplishing from a highe plane of consciousness than you were from before. It is a vertical leap to a new plane of capacity and achievement; an elevation of one's being to a whole new higher plane of consciousness.
In our real world example of accomplishment at the level of evolution, our instructor could change from being a person who competently performs his courses in an orderly and efficient manner to an individual who is passionate about teaching and emotionally involved with his students. He may also develop whole new theories of instruction based on his new level of consciousness, rather than merely being a teacher of existing ideas. His overall attitudes toward his work has completely changed to the positive. He might move from emotional interaction with students to a true knowledge; even utilizing spiritual methods as a foundation for his work.
Transformation At the frontiers of the development of the being is the transformation of the individual to a whole other functioning in life. One can embody a permanent inner change that connects one to the inner, soul being; one can enable a spiritual transformation into the spiritual planes of life above mind; and one can make the ultimate supramental transformation into a whole new type of being, beyond even the human functioning we now witness. As we embody these three transformational frontiers, we open to the infinite potentials of life, where we can thus accomplish infinitely in life.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
-Based on this discussion consider which level of accomplishment you are currently at -- survival, growth, development, evolution, or transformation. (Most people are at the first level.) Then consider how you could move to the next highest type (e.g. survival to growth, growth to development, development to evolution).
-Think of some other people who have moved among the levels. Do you know of a person who abruptly changed course, say from the level of growth (more of the same) to that of development (to a whole new qualitative level of accomplishment). If so, discover the history and aspects of that person's life that enabled that leap to take place. Consider how you would do something similar in your life. Do you also know of someone who has made a radical change of character, making what one would call an evolutionary leap?Write the text of your article here!