The Faith of Success and True Love

Before you ever fall in love, you have to first believe in love – true love that is. Among the many lessons taught to us by The Princess Bride (not the least of which is “Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line), is that true love is “the greatest thing in the world (except for a nice MLT – mutton, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomatoes are ripe),” and the most noble of all causes. But what is true love, and what does it have to do with success? One word: Purpose.

There are over 7 billion people on this planet (that’s nine zeroes), yet there is only one of you. How extraordinary is that? Let’s say that again – there is no other you. You are it, the only one of you. Suffice to say then, the most unique thing about you is, well, you. And the only thing that you can give to the world that nobody else can is that very same thing – you. Why does this matter, you ask? Because understanding who you are, finding your true self, is critical to finding true love and success.

If you are the one thing that only you can give to the universe, then giving who you are – your talents, ideas, passions, etc. – is your purpose. But it is not just giving your self, it is giving your best self. And why would you want to be anything less anyway? You owe it to yourself, and to everyone around you, to be your best self. If you are less than your best self, then you are not fulfilling your greatest potential. You are not fulfilling your purpose. How do I know if I am being my best self and living my purpose, you ask? Easy. It comes down to faith.

Living your purpose is a means, not an end. It is a continual process without knowing what the ultimate outcome will be. Every day you wake up and make your greatest effort to be your best self. Every decision you make, every choice, should be centered around that one thing – giving your best self. If you are focused on what you will receive in return for your efforts, then you are distracted and may make the wrong choices. You have to have faith that what you receive in return to your giving your best self is the right and best result. It has to be. Even science agrees that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, giving your best self and living your purpose will result in the best outcome. It is just that sometimes the outcome is not always obvious or what you would expect, which is why your faith is so important. You have to know, through faith, that you are always achieving the best results in order to keep going. The bottom line is that there is no proof, none that I can point to anyway, that you are in fact being your best self and/or achieving your greatest success. Yet, you have to proceed with conviction without proof. You have to trust the process, the means, without evidence of its end. That, by definition, is faith. 

Finding true love is no different, and it is rooted in the same premise – purpose. To me, true love is the romantic notion that there is that one person out there that is meant for you – your soul mate. It is the idea that amidst the many wandering souls on the planet, that there is the perfect match for you, another soul or spirit that (to steal one from Jerry MaGuire) completes you, and makes you your best self. In other words, finding true love enables you to live your purpose. Which brings us back to faith. Just like you must proceed with the conviction that there is a best you, and that being and giving your best self is your purpose, so too must you proceed with the conviction that true love is real. That all things being equal, just as there is a best you, there is a counterpart that is equally best suited for you and helps you become an even better version of your best self.

Now, you may ask, assuming I believe in true love, how will I ever find that other person? With over 7 billion other unique souls on the planet, what are the odds I will ever cross paths with that person? What are the odds that we will ever meet or make eye contact? Extraordinary, I would say. In fact, I would go far as to say that everyone at some point in life encounters their true love. They must. Is a bee led astray from the flower? No. In fact, it is led directly from flower to flower so that is can pollenate all of those plants along its journey, thus fulfilling a vital purpose in nature. The problem is that most people are too distracted to ever see true love. Instead, we are focused on school, jobs, travelling, timing, money, etc. We are too focused on a result or goal, the ends, which distracts us from the means and causes us to make the wrong choices. Choices, free will. These are unique to the human condition.  We may not control our circumstances. We may not control the options we are given to choose from in life. But we do control the choices we make based on those options and circumstances. That is the balance of fate and free will. But just like the bee is given the flower, so too will we be given the options to live our purpose and to find our true love. The challenge is that we have to choose our path. We have to choose to live our purpose. We have to choose our true love (and they need to choose you back).

The only thing preventing you from living your purpose is you. The only thing that will prevent you from finding true love is you. You already have the answers. Your purpose is right there to be lived, you know it. Success and true love are right before your very eyes. You just need to let go of your fear, a fear that is based on not having proof that what you know is right. You know who you are. You know how to live and be your best self. You just need faith to move forward. Now go, and have fun storming the castle!