Someone gets a good job, buys a nice house, or enjoys a good life—people will say such things just to make you feel bad. But your destiny was not created in comparison to anyone else’s. The Master Planner has designed your path, and your efforts, along with His plan, determine what you have, how you live, and how you will be. Be content with that. Feeling envious of someone’s wealth, discouraged by another’s success, or saddened by someone’s rise is a sign of mental weakness. Only the Most Merciful knows what is truly beneficial for whom.
If you judge yourself by comparing with others, you will always be restless. Many people will say things to disturb your mind. If you get involved in their discussions and let their words affect you, you will only find sorrow. Even if you earn just a little in an honest way, be satisfied. If you can’t match someone else’s spending, stop thinking about them. True happiness lies in contentment, and peace comes with honesty. There is no glory in being fascinated by ill-gotten wealth. A person cannot exceed the boundaries of what is destined for them. Sometimes, even after much effort, one may fail. The prayer should always be: May only what is truly good be added to life, and may all that is harmful be kept away. What is harmful often appears tempting. May the ability to distinguish between right and wrong always remain awake within us.
You might not think about yourself as much as those around you do. Evil people take more pleasure in making you suffer than in their own achievements. That is why they are more concerned with others than with themselves. They will remind you of your failures, block your path by talking about others, and try to intoxicate you with stories of illicit wealth and corrupt power. If you become mesmerized by these things, you will start on the path of ruin. The day you see yourself as a competitor to others is the day you will lose your peace. You will lose your inner contentment.
Striving to be of good character and an upright person like someone else is admirable. However, thinking that you must amass wealth at any cost or reach a position of power by any means is disgraceful. Competing in unethical pursuits transforms people into beings with beast-like instincts. Let your wealth be less, but let your honor be greater. To earn people’s love, one must show a good heart and a pure mind. Integrity must be upheld. A good person, even if unsuccessful, remains honorable. Any achievement gained through force or injustice should always be rejected.
Building a good life is essential. It is necessary to reassure yourself that you are an honest person. Public resources should be protected just as personal property is. How much does a person truly need to live? Most of what people hoard is driven by greed. The obsession with wealth blinds people. Cheating others, taking away someone’s rights, or disrespecting people—all of this stems from greed. When human virtues are lost, people can do whatever they please.
The urge to accumulate wealth illegally eventually becomes an addiction. At that stage, a person loses all sense of right and wrong. When someone forgets the difference between lawful and unlawful, they take pleasure in exploiting others, like a predator rejoicing in its kill. Hurting others becomes a source of deep satisfaction for them. But injustice always comes with consequences. There will always be a debt to justice. Whether on an individual level or a national scale, any injustice will have to be repaid with interest. The lifespan in this world is limited, but life itself does not end here! True freedom comes only after justice is served. Those who remain accountable before the Ultimate Judge—no matter what they possessed in this world—will have lived a life of failure.
