Part 1
We are not being called to be more than we are, let alone to judge ourselves when we see we have missed the mark; rather, we are here to discover ALL that we are being given, and how -- if we dare accept this unimaginable gift -- we will see it multiplied a hundredfold.
Part 2
The world giveth and the world... taketh: the time and tides of ever-changing conditions eventually prove all worldly kingdoms -- along with their castles -- will be washed away. This is why it is written in the Old Testament that all is in vain for those who struggle (like beasts) "in the field of the opposites." But, on the other hand, whatever true self-knowledge we work to recover during this lifetime can't be taken from us, and more: hidden in this revelation is the realization that, by grace, we are always being shown the truth that sets us free... but only as we are willing to embrace that revelation.