Eckhart Tolle and others in a long line of so-called spiritual teachers tell us that our attempts to gain fulfillment from pleasures like material goods, community or work-related success and recognition, or even loving relationships carry with them a risk of pain and disappointment. By contrast, real fulfillment is an inner 'state of being'.
In my view, this teaching devalues our experiences of pleasure in our relationships and achievements in life. In doing so it devalues our life and therefore our spirit, that which makes us alive.
Yes, there is always a risk of failure when we attempt to achieve something important to us. When we achieve what we want, it is right for us to feel good about it. It is right to celebrate our achievement.
Likewise, when we fail to achieve what we want, it is right that we feel disappointed. We do well to learn from our failures rather than use them as excuses to turn inward and seek fulfillment in some "inner state of being."
When we are sick, depressed, or anxious it isn't the best time for us to pursue our dreams. Like Tolle, when we're miserable and lack resilience we do well to take a break, avoid the additional stress of risk, and take good care of ourselves in order to improve our health. Turning inward is a type of mental and emotional therapy, a type of anesthesia, we can use when we're miserable and unable to deal directly with our failures and disappointments in life.
However, turning inward to seek so-called "real fulfillment" in an inner state of being is not for strong, healthy, creative, productive individuals. Strong, healthy, creative, and productive individuals, individuals strong in spirit, not only cope well when they fail and experience disappointments, they learn from and draw on them to rise up and face life's new challenges. When they succeed they rightly take pleasure in and celebrate their achievements.
Healthy spirits don't need to seek fulfillment in an inner 'state of being.' They're too bust making a meaningful difference in the world.
