Alongside the mounting sense of insecurity and lack of direction that most of us are experiencing, whether caused by personal or global upheavals and breakdown, there is, it seems, an increasing preoccupation with the idea of being a 'winner', 'the best' or 'the most sensational' in the eyes of the world. And whole industries have emerged, sustaining this craving for feeling good, looking perfect, or appearing successful.

However absurd and short lived such compulsions may be; however selfish, experimental or materialistic are the reasons for clamouring for a moment in the hot glare of a spotlight; these manifestations could nevertheless be seen also as evidence, on their own level, of the deep irrepressible urge within each one of us to express, to demonstrate, to exhaust – give to the last drop – that which is uniquely ours to give. The desire to create, to express and give shape and form to an inner design or idea, is perhaps the very thing that can cause us to fail and the reason we should be grateful that such experiments are short lived and easily collapse.

The importance of 'failure', its role of destroying stagnated or lifeless symbols of past 'successes', was recently highlighted by John Hart, the New Zealand Coach of the All Blacks Rugby Team, when he reminded the press that 'sometimes you need to fail to succeed', implying that perhaps the most valuable lessons are to be learnt through the mistakes we make.

Greater understanding through lessons learnt within any area of endeavour will eventually lead to an even more perfect team play, greater cooperation and self-sacrifice for the good of the whole. Like in a Rugby Team, or any other field of human expression, the individual players come and go. No single human form, in however elevated a position, can give more than a glorious glimpse of the eternal beauty of life lived well; the radiant riches of the human spirit and the limitless expressions that love can take.

With its humble beginnings infinite matter, the desire to create beauty and perfection, the willingness to exhaust all opportunities given to fulfil our destiny will inexorably urge us onwards until all within our sphere of consciousness stands revealed. The playing field of successes and failures will take us there.