We feel that our success in life depends on how much we can impress others.  When we impress people, we feel confident.  Otherwise we feel diffident.

However, when we sit down and ponder - "What have I done to impress myself?" we understand that when we have performed well we are pleased, but when we have failed to reach our own expectations, we feel disgusted.  Our feelings towards ourselves keep fluctuating. This is because we are not tuning in to our Soul. 

Today, most of our friendships are also transactional.  They are essentially based on the principle - "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."  This is not friendship.  This is a ship that is sure to sink.  Sailing on this doomed ship we are seeking "treasures" which are just ephemeral bubbles on the surface of the sea.  

There is an enlightening story about a billionaire.  When this wealthy man died his Soul stood before God.  God looked at him and asked - "My dear child, you have been away for many years.  How have you spent your life? 

What have you done to impress Me?"  The billionaire proudly said - "God, I impressed thousands of people and became very famous."  God asked - "Where is your fame now?"  The rich man replied - "Sorry God, I had to leave it behind."  God asked - "What happened to your property and wealth?"  The billionaire said - "Now that you ask me, I couldn't bring them either.

My once handsome body is also burnt to ashes."  God smiled and said - "The only thing that you can bring back here is the love engraved on your Soul.  I sent you to Earth with a huge treasury of love.  To how many did you give that love?  How many tears did you wipe and how many hearts did you soothe?  With how many people did you share your wealth?"    The billionaire looked sad and said - "I was so busy with my own work that I had very little time for anything else.  Now I have nothing to offer you …"

If we spend all our time in fulfilling our own personal needs and ambitions, we forget the very purpose of life.  Our Soul remains blank with no impressions around it. Selfless service and true love engrave beautiful patterns on the Soul. 

What is impressed on the Soul is what we express outside.    As we create impressions of selfless love on our Soul, waves of joy and contentment flow from us to the world. Then we will never waste time trying to impress anybody.  We will simply shower them with love.  The way we view life will change completely. Every soul we help will be our wealth and every pain we remove will be our gain.