At the core of the western materialistic idealogy, which is rooted in capitalism is the idea that everything has a price and that price gives the product its value.
Consequently, in this worldview, the value of a person is also dependent on price. Everyone strives to present themselves as valuable by the clothes they wear, the houses they own, the salary they acquire, or the investments they make.
On top of that, this search for external appreciation is harmful and can lead to depression because it removes the value of you as a person with all the gifts and talents you have, and makes you beg for recognition from the superficial materialistic culture.
I guess the situation wasn’t much better in times when Guru Nanak lived because this is what he is addressing in the 7th pauri of Japji.
At that time in India people really valued spiritual masters who claimed they lived a very long time. Guru Nanak says that if you were to live as long as 4 ages (26,000 thousand years) or even 10x that and even if everyone loved you and followed you, but if the divine creator would not like what you are doing, you would be miserable.
All this value that is given to you by other people means nothing. What is truly valuable is when you work with what was written for you by the creator, and develop your gifts and talents.
Claim your own value.
Qualify yourself for whatever job you are interested in.
Work hard to perfect it.
This is called living sovereign life.
There were many writers throughout the centuries of our civilization and they were many who were famous and popular, yet today they are lost to us. We don’t know about them because no one bothered to copy their writing and pass on their life’s work, most likely because future generations didn’t find their writing valuable, relevant or interesting enough.
But there are other writers whose work DID survive. Some even 2 or 3 millennia and till this day we find their work inspirational.
These writers most likely tapped into their inner genius, a value given to them by the creator. They most likely expressed something valuable that was worth copying, and publishing throughout the centuries (and yes, we must include Lysistrata by Aristophanes in this category).
What if there is a special talent hiding within you as well, but you are so busy running after money or are afraid of people’s opinions that you never express it fully?
The word inspiration is made of the word spirit, which means your inspiration is divine and should not be ignored.
Follow your divine calling
and remember:
The virtueless and the virtuous
Are both created by the Divine.
And what virtues they carry
Are given by Thee.
No one exists
Who can bestow virtues on You.”
